New Beginnings
by GerudoGirl89
Summary: W AU: Rewriting. Getting people to trust you is tough, especially when you know nothing about yourself. While one girl tries to gain acceptance, tension rises between the Gerudo and Hylians. And conflict can sometimes end very badly. R&R, please?
1. The Beginning

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New Beginnings

**Me: All righty then, this is my first fic, so please go easy on me. As you may have figured out, my name is WaveBladeFusion901. This is actually a rewrite of my old fic, which I liked but decided to trash because it was the crappiest thing I'd seen in a long time. I'd started this and got bored, then realized that I was doing sequels and spin-offs of this without explaining anything. So, well, I had to come back. This is my first story, so please go easy in me! Disclaim.**

**Zelda: Wave owns this story. It's AU. That's it.**

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Hyrule was peaceful. The beloved Princess Zelda, sometimes called the Princess of Destiny, had recently turned eleven, prompting a lavish celebration. Kakariko slowly attracted business, and everything seemed just as it should be in their bustling economy. The winds blew gently in Hyrule, bringing happiness and prosperity to all.

Things were not perfect everywhere, however. Castle Town looked fine to the untrained eye, but if someone looked down the back alleys, into the worst parts of the city, things were not so pretty. Thieves traversed in and out of homes and shops. People vanished mysteriously, never to be seen again. Murderers slit throats over a game of dice. Crime was common; perhaps eight in ten people in Lower Castle Town were criminals or involved in a crime.

Many successful businessmen owned workshops in the Lower City, also called Wind District. They were cheap, decently kept, and convenient. However the higher class may have disliked the commoners, Wind District workshops were undeniably the best. This was the case with Grammal Monai, the richest businessman in all of Hyrule. A blacksmith by trade, Grammal was pleasant in company. With his large stature and long, untamed black hair, he seemed menacing to those who didn't know him. Once they did get to know him, they found him to be quite a good person.

That was a mask. In truth, no one knew much about him. No one knew that his apparently well cared-for assistants were abused and overworked. And no one ever found out, not even when one ended up dead and the other vanished off the face of the earth.

--&--

"Get out!" the man snarled, throwing a metal pitcher at his victim. The girl stood up from the floor of the rough forge, bruised and battered. She wiped a trickle of blood from the side of her mouth and bowed to him respectfully before departing.

The cold rain over Castle Town stung and numbed her face, washing away rivulets of blood and sweat. She was used to the cold and the wet: her room in the basement leaked.

Her name was Maria, she had lived with Grammal and his wife her entire life. Her mother, Grammal had said, had died after giving birth nearly eleven years ago. Maria was extremely thin for her age, with shoulder-length reddish-brown hair, pale skin, and bright amber eyes. This told her, and everyone else she knew, that she was of Gerudian descent.

Maria sighed as she entered the vast house. It, like the houses of many famous Hylian craftsmen, was in a better part of town than the workshop. The front door led off to the main room, where Grammal's wife, Elarissi, sat in a chair before a crackling fire, reading a novel. The room was spacious. Polished wood panels shone in the light of the fire. The soft, thick carpet eased her aching bare feet. Antique furniture crammed into the room proclaimed the family's wealth. Above the white stone fireplace was a shield Grammal had made many years ago, with his symbol (the outline of a dragon rearing up on its two hind legs, wings unfurled and a sword in its jaws) recreated in gold on the front. Under the shield were two straight swords in sheaths.

She tried to sneak off quietly, to go to her room and tend to her bleeding wounds in peace, but Elarissi noticed her. "Maria." The Gerudian girl flinched as Elarissi lay her book in her pink silk-clad lap, sapphire blue eyes completely frank, without emotion. "We have decided that it's time. We want you to leave."

She stared at the woman. "What?"

Elarissi glared at Maria. "Grammal and I don't want you here anymore, you're too much to handle."

Maria was stunned. Grammal was the richest businessman in Hyrule, for Goddesses' sake! He was invited to Hyrule Court every time the Royal Family had a ball because of his vast income. He was influential. Nobles from different countries paid him money for metalwork, and paid him well.

The woman was still talking. "I'm sorry, Maria," Elarissi sighed sadly. "Ever since Ronan died . . ."

The girl flinched. Ronan had been her best friend, her only friend, Grammal's other assistant. He was luckier than her in two ways: he knew where his parents' graves were, Kakariko Village. And, he had the fortune of death, where Grammal couldn't hurt him anymore.

Elarissi had only one word left for her.

"Go."

Maria numbly walked out the door, back out into the cold, stinging rain, without any money or friends in the world. Oblivious to anything but her pain, she walked into the courtyard, down the muddy streets, and out over the drawbridge. Cold rain stung her face, but she no longer cared.

Outside the castle walls, the storm raged. Vicious winds flattened the high grasses. Lightning strikes caused fires quickly extinguished by the pouring rain. Through nature's fury, Maria stood, staring down at the water under the bridge. He had thrown her out of her only home, after ten years of dedicated, if bitter, service. She was alone. What would happen when the cold came? How was she supposed to survive this rainstorm, let alone the blizzards that blanketed Castle Town and made the Field an impossible wilderness?

A snarl brought her attention to her surroundings. Her hand flew to her sword as she spun. A Wolfos, a massive specimen for its kind, stood behind her, with claws like small daggers and blood-encrusted teeth. It howled and slashed, but she blocked it by holding her sword up in front of her, then backing up. How did this thing sneak up on me?! she thought wildly, barely avoiding a second blow.

She didn't notice the stone buried in the rain soaked grass until it was too late. She fell backward, banging her head against the ground. She groaned in pain and slashed blindly. She missed completely. The Wolfos reared up, howled its triumph, and buried its claws in her shoulder. She screamed in pain. Hoarse from the strength of her cry, she swiped outward again. But it made no difference. The Wolfos, excited by the smell of her blood, had started to lick it with its rough tongue, then turned to her with a merciless gaze. This was it. Her entire life had come down to murder by savage Wolfos.

Maria could see Ronan's face clearly before her, and waited with closed eyes for the victory howl, the next blow and for sweet, wonderful death. She wanted it more than anything, for there was nothing left for her in life. She relaxed the hand that held her sword. Death was coming, and no one was there. She was going to die alone.

Finally, she heard it. The howl. The scything claw descended. Maria's eyes remained tightly shut.

But the howl of victory turned to a howl of pain, and she quickly reopened her eyes. The huge predator reared up before her, an arrow in his back. Confused, she looked up through a haze of pain, water, and lightning to see another arrow strike the beast in the head. It howled once more and fell to the ground, blood streaming from its wounds. Dark black fire leapt from somewhere over the bridge to consume the creature's carcass.

She held very still and waited. _Who would be out here at such an hour?_ she wondered. _Who's brave enough to fight a giant Wolfos? And why . . . .?_

Maria heard the tramp of heavy boots quite close to her. A hooded figure loomed out of the darkness and bent down beside her. She glared in mistrust and reached inside her shirt, touching the hilt of a knife strapped to her arm. The form seemed unfazed, and brushed against her bleeding shoulder wound with gloved fingers. She flinched in pain, frozen by her fear.

The figure knelt at her side for a few moments, examining the cuts and bruises all over her arms and face.

He (or she? Maria couldn't tell) slid one arm around her back and the other under her knees, carefully lifting her from the sodden ground. She flinched again and closed her eyes. Darkness began to envelop the corners of her vision. She gave into unconsciousness as the figure lifted her up onto a horse, mounted behind her, and set off at a gentle trot toward the west, sheltered from the cold rain by the warmth of victory.

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Me: Well, what do you think? I know it's short, but I'd like at least one review, please?

**REWRITTEN Friday, July 18, 2008, 8:16 PM.**


	2. Gerudo's Valley

**Chapter 2: Gerudo's Valley**

**Me: Hey, peeps! Well, what did ya think? Cool? Sucky? Crappy?  
****Zelda: Wave deserves to die (is shot).  
****Me: Yeah, I own nothing. Read the story!  
_Formatting may be off because refuses to accept the changes I've been making. The first line refuses to stay centered, or underlined._**

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The warmth suffocated her the moment she rose from the deep shadows of unconsciousness.

Blearily Maria opened her eyes and winced at the headache that roared through her brain, ravaging her still-groggy thoughts. Her face was damp with sweat. It was much too _hot_ in here, wherever she was. W_hat happened? _she thought. Vague images pushed through the pain and came to the surface of her consciousness. She pieced them together as accurately as possible. _Wolfos, fire, rain . . . Grammal threw me out . . . damn him. If he threw me out, where am I?_

Briefly she waited for her pain to subside. When she felt well enough to process information, she examined her surroundings. As exhausted as she was, Maria could only rely on basic feelings to aid her.

First, warmth. It was fiercely hot here, wherever she was. Next, relaxation. She vaguely realized she was lying on a comfortable bed, covered in thick, heavy blankets. She pushed them off. Immediately, a rush of cool air brought cold sweat to her face. She welcomed the change in temperature readily.

Refreshed, she glanced about. The room was very plain. Both the walls and the floor were made of stone. A small, smokeless fire burned in the fireplace opposite her bed. High up in the walls on either side of the fireplace were small windows that allowed dusty sunshine to spill onto a dark blue rug, worn and frayed at the edges, that covered the floor and provided insulation against colder weather. Glass orbs provided clear light the rest of the room. These hung in brackets on the walls. The heavy wooden door was slightly ajar. Beyond it, she saw a shadowy hall.

Maria lay back, groaning softly. So, she wasn't a prisoner. That was an improvement. But that didn't tell her anything. So she was free, but _where_?

At that moment, a woman bustled into the room, carrying a wooden tray laden with bottles and herbs. Maria noted Red, Blue, and Green Potions, a few herb pouches and a thick gold liquid she didn't recognize. The woman wasn't that old, most likely in her early twenties, with bright amber eyes, flaming red hair held back with a leather strip, and a long, thin nose. A Gerudo woman. Instead of the classic Gerudo outfit, she wore a long purple silk skirt, a white top held up by straps, and an embroidered vest made from purple silk. Gold buttons on the vest winked in the firelight, flashing into the girl's eyes. She blinked to clear them.

The woman peered at her. "You're awake," she said, chuckling. Her voice was deep and accented. "Some of us thought you'd die; you lost a lot of blood. You've recovered fast, Maria."

There was silence for a moment while Maria wrestled with the feeling that there was something strange about the woman's words. _She called me by name, _she realized suddenly_. How did she know my name?! _"How'd you know who I am?" she asked suspiciously.

The woman sighed, setting the tray down on the table beside her bed. She then turned to Maria and folded her arms in the traditional Gerudo style. "First of all, I'm Seva. Second of all, if that is your name, then you're exactly who we've been looking for. Third of all, I knew your mother. A fine woman, I was sad to see her leave."

_You're exactly who we've been looking for. _

_"Who we've been looking for?" Why are they looking for me? And how does she know my mother? _Maria wondered. Keeping her voice calm, she asked, "What do you mean?"

"I . . . I don't know how to explain," the woman confessed. "It's complicated. You were born here, you see. Your mother ran off with you, I don't know what happened after. You know the rest, I don't know any more. Wish I could help you."

"But . . . ."

"I'm sorry, Maria. I really can't help you. I'm not the one with the answers."

"Then who is?"

A sharp rapping brought their attention to the door. Someone pushed it open, someone huge and dressed all in black. It was a Gerudo, a _male _Gerudo. Maria's eyes widened. Well over seven feet tall, the man was heavily tanned and muscled, almost impossibly so, wearing a black shirt, pants, and cloak. He was without any adornment save for the head-piece made of black metal and topaz that gleamed on his forehead. He looked like any female Gerudo, with bright crimson hair, a long, thin nose, and piercing amber eyes. Maria knew something of the Desert Folk, and realized that this must be their King, the only male born in a hundred years. Why was he here? She was just a child, not someone important. What could he want with her?

Seva didn't bow to him, as Maria had expected (and would have done if not for the ache in her legs that prevented her from standing), but stood up hurriedly. "Lord Ganondorf," she said, surprised. His gaze moved to her, and she sighed. "Sorry. It's the informality thing. I know, you've been raised among us, honorific titles aren't necessary, but I simply can't help it." He nodded in comprehension. She sighed again. "So, what brings you down here?"

"Curiosity." His voice was deep and quiet. He leaned against the wall, folding his arms into his cloak. Though his voice betrayed no emotion, it made Maria feel uncomfortable. Worse still was the way his topaz gaze flicked from her to Seva and back again. Those eyes were critical and calculating. The Gerudian King was a very intelligent man. He could be dangerous. She felt her heart clench. What if he was like Grammal?

"Well, she's conscious, if that's what you mean by curiosity," replied Seva. She'd regressed to casual speech, nearly teasing his mute presence. He didn't seem affected by it. On the contrary, a small, reluctant smile appeared on his face. It reduced his intimidating quality. "It's stopped bleeding; she'll be on her feet in no time." She grinned at him. He didn't respond. "Anything else for ya, milord?" she asked.

"No, nothing else." And with that, he turned and left. They heard his heavy footfalls echo throughout the hallways, and then there was silence. Maria shifted, ill at ease, still seeming to feel the weight of the male's eyes on her. She didn't _like _people examining her too closely. Her whole life comprised of not being seen or heard, but now, the most powerful, influential man in the desert was interested in her. Maria could tell that it was more than curiosity that guided him. But his emotions and intentions were masked by his silence and the hard, unyielding solemnity on his face.

"He's a strange one," sighed Seva finally. Maria started. She'd forgotten the guard was still there. The Gerudo rubbed her arms and sat beside Maria. "I don't think we've ever had a King that thought more about the people he ruled than himself. For being a single male amongst three hundred females, he's done well. He's a good man." This last point sounded like it had been tacked on for Maria's benefit. Unconvinced and slightly disconcerted, Maria chose to remain silent. Silence was always an acceptable answer.

Seva sighed one last time and stood. She turned to the tray she'd brought, handing Maria a bottle of Red Potion. "Drink," she ordered. Grimacing at the taste, Maria drained it under the older woman's sharp eye. "Tomorrow, we'll see if we can get you up and about. All right?" she nodded and Seva smiled. "Welcome to Gerudo Valley, Maria."

In the depths of Hyrule, hidden from the eyes of Hylians and Gerudo alike, four men sat in conference. "This cannot go on," said the first. He leaned back in his chair, at ease with the morbid, obscure chamber he'd picked for a meeting-place. His chair scraped against the rough stone floor. Two of the other men shuddered. They disliked this place immensely. It was the very antithesis of Hyrule Castle, both cold and dangerous, and certainly not a place they enjoyed. But a meeting place hidden from even King Daphnes was more important than light and warmth.

"Aye." The second speaker was tall, but his features were covered by a black cloak. Intricate patterns embroidered in silver thread all over the cloak shone in the weak light cast by torches. "We must do something, we have waited too long. They must be destroyed. All of them."

The third, a Hyrule soldier, nodded sharply. He was quaking in his armor, intimidated by the others, trying to conceal his unease with empty bluster. He was simply a squad leader, not of any importance except to his men. These three were _lords_, masters of the arcane. He wasn't even sure the cloaked one was _human. _Nevertheless, they'd chosen him, from all other leaders, to bring an ultimate glory unto Hyrule. "Then we launch a small skirmish?" he asked uncertainly. "To weaken them?"

The fourth nodded, and clenched his fist. He wore gloves, the soldier noted dimly, sweat beading his forehead, gloves that stretched against bulging joints. "This is the first step in our eradication of the Gerudo."

"And of their king?" asked the soldier. "He is supposed to be very powerful . . . ."

The man with the black cloak responded to his question. "If all else fails," he studied the hilt of the dagger in his hand, "kill him."

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****Me: Short and boring, yes, but the action comes next chapter. See yuh!  
****Rewritten March 30, 2010, 5:30 PM**

**Author's note: I started rewriting this for no reason other than boredom. Within two hours I'd doubled the original word count. Yes, that's quite a long time for 800 measly words, but I was working on three things at once. It just shows how our skills have improved, I suppose. **_**I **_**think it sounds a lot better. I really need someone to tell me how I've done, and what I need to improve on. Any help would be appreciated. Thank you. :)**


	3. Fight and Friends

**Chapter 3: Fights and Friends**

It was two weeks before Seva deemed Maria healthy enough to leave her room. For days all she was allowed to do was lie there, wishing her injuries would heal faster. Two women visited her daily to speed along the process by re-healing old wounds, but progress was maddeningly slow. Improperly-healed broken bones and infections were difficult to fix. Often, they only came in for perhaps an hour or so, gave her nasty potions to drink, and left. Seva was sympathetic to the girl's frustrations but refused to let her do anything more than walk around her room a few times. The healing process was difficult, she kept saying, best not let your body do too much work until you had the strength.

Finally, the blessed day arrived when Seva put her hands on her hips and looked down at her charge. "You've definitely gotten better," she noted with approval. "Nyrr and Rosa say they have less and less to fight with every time they come in here to fix you. Your system is stronger. You can fight things on your own now."

Maria frowned. Certainly she hadn't woken up in these last few nights as she always had, body trembling with held-in coughs, or seen any welts appear on her body. The bruises that Grammal had given her, even, had begun to fade. She was mending. Her body would fix itself.

But now what would happen? They had removed her from her previous state, the sickly, weak creature she'd been, but now what was there for her to do? When she was healed, would they make her leave? Dully she considered her options. Alone in the desert she would surely starve, alone in Hyrule Field she would certainly be caught by soldiers. That left only Kakariko, the village of Sheikah, but even there could she exist as much more than a beggar? Eleven-year-old children were not capable of owning property, and Kakariko held danger, as did any area of Hyrule. She had no Rupees to her name, no way of defending herself against the elements. The healing was all for naught if she couldn't continue to reside here.

Seva sat down on the edge of her bed. "Is there something wrong?" she asked. "You seem . . . distracted."

"What will become of me?" she mumbled, avoiding Seva's eyes. She didn't want to hear the words that would surely spell her doom. Stoicism had long since been a part of her day-to-day requirements, but in this case, she could not help herself. She was frightened. She did not want to die. Hyrule Field and Kakariko meant death unless some miracle occurred and a family took her in. There was no orphanage except in Castle Town, and the children were usually sold to businessmen anyway, as assistants and chambermaids. She would wind up exactly where she'd started: a cold, damp basement room in the house of man who hated her existence.

Seva regarded her, somewhat confused. "I told you you're one of us, didn't I?" she asked. Maria nodded mutely. "What do you mean, what will come of you? You're _Aamra Geradi_, One of the Tribe. Your home is here," she hesitated, "if you want it to be."

Maria looked up, eyes wide. "Y-you mean . . ." she stammered, "I can stay?"

"Of course!" Seva stood up. "Would Ganondorf have taken you here if you were not welcome?"

She met Seva's eyes briefly in surprise and then lowered her gaze to the blankets covering her lap. "He brought me here?"

"Ganondorf's the one that found you, Maria. Hasn't he explained anything?"

She pressed her lips tightly together and looked down at the blankets covering her lap. "No," she mumbled. "I haven't . . . I haven't seen him."

"Not at all?" Seva looked bewildered. "He told us he'd come down here. Talk to you."

"Well he hasn't," she snapped back, and immediately felt a wave of shame upon seeing the startled look in the young woman's golden eyes. "I'm sorry," she muttered, face reddening. "That was rude of me."

"It's fine," replied Seva. "I was just . . . confused. He told us he'd spoken to you many times, about the tribe, our home . . . your family . . . ."

"He knew my family?" she interrupted, startled. Her thin, bruised hands clenched the blankets, twisting the thick fabric in knots. "When? How? Is any of my family still alive . . . .?"

"These are questions for the Rizar to answer," responded Seva quietly, touching Maria's hand. "He knows everything."

"Did _you _know my mother?" The silly question left her mouth before she had time to clamp it shut. Appalled with herself, she hunched lower in a ball and squeezed her hands together tightly. It was a childish thing to ask, certainly, and even young she'd been taught never to ask questions like these. But, starved for the company of family as she was, she forgot all lessons in the belief that she could be, perhaps, united with her mother, her aunt, or even a female cousin. _To be one with a family . . . _That was her wish, a simple one, but so impossible. She would settle for anyone, even if it wasn't one of her parents. And now here was someone who might know something about Maria's own history, facts Maria herself had been denied her whole life. Hope blossomed in her chest, and she prayed that, finally, questions could be answered.

Seva only sighed. "Yes, I knew her," she said. "She was a wonderful woman. Intelligent, beautiful, capable . . . we all loved her here."

Maria sat back in the bed. "Then why did she leave me?" she mumbled.

Seva stood up. "For this I have no answer," she responded gently. The disappointment in Maria's eyes broke her heart, and she cleared her throat against a painful welling of emotion. "The only one who can truly answer these questions is the king."

"He'll never answer," the girl said sadly, and Seva heard a note of resentment. Maria released the blanket and folded her hands in her lap. Her head dropped. "I don't think he'll come and see me either."

"I'll talk to him for you," offered the guard. "It's simple, really, to get an audience. I'm sure he's just busy. Give it time, lass, please?"

"Very well," said Maria, sounding glum.

"I'll come get you in the morning and we can explore, okay?" Seva coaxed. She'd do anything to get a smile out of Maria again. The girl nodded, somewhat cheered up by this prospect. Seva patted the top of her head comfortingly and left the room.

"Wake up!" Seva opened the door, clutching an armful of clean clothes. "Yeah, I know it's early, but . . . ."

She stopped. Maria was sitting on the edge of the bed, awake, examining one of the rips in her tunic. "Something wrong?" she asked innocently.

Seva closed her gaping mouth. "Sorry. Didn't think you'd be up at this time." She placed the bundle on Maria's bed. "You know how to handle a weapon?"

"A bit," admitted the girl, starting to pick through the clothes, admiring the silky surfaces. "I've been trained . . . but that was a long time ago."

"Well, good. We might do a bit of training later, see if you're all healed up." "All right." Maria shrugged into the light blue tunic. Seva tightly braided the girl's hair. She winced at the tension; every time she moved her head, the hair pulled against her scalp. "Must it be so tight?" she asked.

Seva laughed. "You'll be grateful when it gets hotter."

Chuckling, the guard brought the girl outside, where weak sunshine already brightened the grayish-pink sky. The sand shone with a reddish-orange glow as the sun cleared the rock walls around the Fortress. A dry wind swept through the main compound, sending waves of sand cross the rock walls. It was a warm day already, and the cloudless sky brought promises of extreme heat. All irritation at the tight braid faded immediately from Maria's mind. Seva looked down at her charge. "Ready to go?" she asked. Maria nodded, and Seva took her into the main heart of the hideout.

Maria observed the surroundings from behind her guide. The fortress, besides the surrounding wall and height advantage, seemed to be rather defenseless. It was a place of stealth rather than combat. The inhabitants were thieves, not soldiers. The evidence for this revelation was reflected in the narrow, twisting passageways that descended far into the ground, some rising beyond the walls and out into the open desert. Escape passages, secret tunnels in case of attack. There was no honor in dying without reason for these women, Seva explained to Maria as they made their way through the complicated hallways. If Gerudo could escape, they'd do it gladly. There was a difference between courage and stupidity. Maria highly doubted that was true.

On the way to the guard tower Seva and Maria met dozens of redheaded, silk-clad women who called greetings and stared with unabashed curiosity at the small, white-skinned girl following their fellow guard. Maria, just as interested in them, stared back from behind a curtain of hair. She found them rather opposite from Hylians. They were loud, boisterous, and seemed completely at ease. Too many chatted aimlessly in the hallways when they should have been on guard duty, but Maria noticed that their swords and glaives were never too far out of reach. Her respect for the Desert Tribe, and whoever trained them, rose a few notches.

Seva led her back outside. Behind the Fortress was a huge, flat stretch of land, where Gerudo trained with bows, dulled swords, and glaives. They worked in groups, partners, or sometimes by themselves. Time and time again arrows thudded directly into the center of the rough targets, and swords met their mark against the padded armor opponents wore in mock battles. These people were fast, accurate, and deadly. Maria hoped someday she could be as talented as them.

A lone Gerudo with short-cropped, tousled red hair stood waiting for them. She wore dark reddish-brown cloth pants and a white vest over a brown, sleeveless, low-cut top. High on her left arm was a spiraling bracelet of gold that signified her status as captain. Around her waist were two scimitars. She grinned wolfishly at Maria and Seva as they approached, and Maria noted a thin scar on her cheek. "The name's Kuza," said the weapons' mistress. "I trust you can fight, by the sword around your waist." Maria nodded. "Well, then, try and beat me. I'll go easy on you."

Already, a small group of Gerudo had disengaged from their mock battles to see the pair fight. Maria silently accepted a dulled practice sword from another Gerudo, surrendering her own in the process. Kuza did the same and settled into a ready position.

"Fight!"

Maria wasted no time, leaping in and aiming a slice at Kuza's ribs. Kuza blocked, dancing backward, and jabbed at Maria's abdomen. The girl twisted to avoid it. The blade missed her side by a hair's width. Kuza withdrew, stabbing at her opponent. Maria parried her blow and started to swing at her head, then stopped halfway and aimed at her other hip. Kuza just brought the sword up in time to prevent a bruised side. Her eyes were wide with surprise.

The pair circled each other, then dove into a fifteen-minute long fray of fierce jumps, kicks, parries, and blows, searching for a weakness in each others' defenses. Maria finally broke through and sharply smacked the flat of Kuza's blade with her own. It flew into the air, over the heads of watching warriors, and landed, twenty feet away, in the sand.

There was a stunned silence. Kuza stared at Maria, face glistening with sweat, disbelief etched across her features. "You beat her," someone finally commented. Suddenly, everyone started talking, some impressed, others shocked, others both. Maria bowed to Kuza, who did the same after a moment or two.

"Impressive, kid," she said, laughing a little. "How'd you learn to do that?"

"I've been training since I was three," Maria answered calmly. There were murmurs from the crowd.

"Hey, Kid!" She turned to see another Gerudo with Kuza's dulled practice sword in her hand. "How about another fight?"

The knot of Gerudo grew as Maria fought long into the afternoon, amazed at her abilities, especially considering her injuries. When she finally took a break, she sought shelter from the heat and started to chat with the women about Gerudo culture and history, as well as much of the local gossip. They accepted her thoughtful comments rather than shushing her, and Maria took this as a good sign. The women were cheerful and relaxed, making jokes about everyone in the circle with the type of familiarity she'd never experienced before.

They were overjoyed to have her around.

Maria was similarly happy. She finally had something close to friends.

A shape slipped up behind Yenna, who stood at the back of the audience watching Maria fight, and placed one hand on her shoulder to get her attention. She turned around. "She's good," she whispered, seeing who wanted to talk with her. "Even if she isn't the one, she's still a good fighter, we could still use someone like her. Kuza went down in fifteen minutes, Rane in twenty, and Ruby in, oh, maybe ten. She's excellent."

"I'm glad," he said quietly. "But she is the one. I know it."

Yenna's head tilted to the side. "She certainly does look like the right one. How will we tell her?"

His gaze shifted to Maria, then to her newly-defeated opponent, Nyrr. Nyrr grinned sheepishly at the shouts from the crowd. Apparently, she'd lost because she tripped. He observed Maria's expression. Her face was flushed with excitement, her bright eyes sparkling in the sun. Telling her now would only bring confusion and pain. Best to avoid that. "Seva will figure it out."

Yenna sighed. "We can only hope." But the king had already vanished.

Maria accompanied her group of new friends to dinner that night after hours of mock battles and target shooting. The women chatted about various gossip, food supplies, and weaponry. Maria remained silent, occupied with her own thoughts. In the brightly-lit mess hall, the dark basement rooms and narrow alleys of Castle Town seemed an eternity away. Each face she saw around her was recognizable; there was Kuza, with the scar on her face inflicted by a Hylian soldier; Raine, with darker red hair than even Maria; Jenah, who loved to sing.

She glanced farther down the table. A short, plump woman smiled at her. Around her wrists were the white silk ties that marked her as a healer. Maria smiled back vaguely and looked past her table. First Shift comprised of one hundred people, but in this hall, the echoes made it sound like two hundred. The King took dinner with them, and Maria found herself studying him more than anyone else in the room. He sat at a table surrounded by women with gold armbands and necklaces: Captains of the different groups that made up Gerudo society, Kuza among them; the chief healer, Lara; two women wearing no jewelry, and a young woman wearing traditional Gerudo clothing made from fine white silk. This last individual was deep in conversation with King Ganondorf, who seemed uninterested. His brooding gaze was lowered to the rough table, mouth pulled into a deep frown. But apparently the white-clothed woman said something that garnered his attention, for his head shot up, making the amber drop that hung from one earlobe swing violently. He scowled at her, but the woman wasn't fazed. She kept talking, shaking her gauntleted, ring-covered hands insistently. Whatever point she tried to make only upset him. He snapped a word, and the white Gerudo fell silent. Though her back was turned to Maria, the young woman's posture made the girl certain she was angry. Ganondorf glared down at the table once more.

_What was that all about? _Maria wondered. Anxious, she finished the last of the food on her plate and went up to her room. In her room, she lay down on the bed, staring at the ceiling. _They accept me. For once, someone accepts me. But they don't know me._ She shifted restlessly, turning over to face the window. The cooler night air did nothing to ease her mind. _If they knew what I was, they'd hate me. Despise me. The great fighter, what would they think if they learned . . . ._

A knock on her door interrupted the girl's thoughts. Seva entered, hair pulled free of its ponytail. She smiled and sat down on the edge of the bed. "Hey."

"What brings you here?" asked Maria casually. The guard was ill at ease and unusually hesitant. What happened to the boisterous, cheerful personality Seva had radiated only a few hours before?

Seva sighed and lit one of the glowing light orbs on the bedside table. She played absently with it a moment, making the girl wonder why she seemed so awkward. And then, she finally spoke.

"You wanted to know about your life." Seva's words were soft, almost gentle, but her nervousness made Maria very uneasy.

"Yes . . ." she said cautiously, "what about it?"

Seva sighed again. "I'll give you the short version, then: Your mother gave birth here about twelve years ago, and shortly after, she ran off. A small group of Gerudo, even Ganondorf himself, chased her out into the storm. She entered Castle Town, where nobody could follow her, and she was welcomed with open arms. I guess her friend decided to take you, but I swear, I don't know if your mother's alive or dead."

_"Welcomed with open arms?" How does a Gerudo enter Castle Town with "open arms?"_ "Why could my mother enter Castle Town and the others couldn't?" she asked. Seva paused, shaking her head, visibly upset. She stood up, walked to the door, and began to open it, but her hands shook violently and she could not grasp the handle. "Seva?" Maria asked blankly. "What's wrong?"

Seva paused once more. "Your mother wasn't a Gerudo. She was Hylian." The words came out in a rush, almost as if Seva were eager to rid herself of them, desperate to pass on the knowledge so it could no longer occupy her mind. "Your father is a Gerudo. You are the Princess of Gerudo Valley, Maria Dragmire, daughter of our King, Ganondorf."

So saying, she wrenched open the door and dashed from the room. Her clattering feet could be heard in the shocked silence that followed her announcement.

* * *

**Eh...Good? I don't really think I like it...it's not finished enough. Any help would be appreciated knowing what I can do to improve, thanks. =)**

**Updated 01 July 2010.  
****Original Word Count: 1,270  
****New Word Count: 3,181**


	4. Truth and Premonitions

**Chapter 4: Truth**

**Me: Hello there! I've found a new assistant! Please welcome . . . Talim, from Soul Calibur II!  
(Crickets chirp)  
****Talim: Don't worry Talim, believe in yourself.  
****Me: Oooooo-kaaaaay then. Uh, if anyone wishes for me to remove Wind-Girl over here, then give me a suitable replacement. Disclaim, Talim!  
****Talim: Wave owns Maria. But that's about it. This might be a long, boring chapter for some people, just so you know. We might re-re-edit this.

* * *

**

"Morning!" Seva's cheery yell made Maria bury her head under the covers. The older woman sighed. "Oh, come on, you got up early yesterday!" She placed the clothes in the chest at the foot of Maria's bed. "Unless you prefer I call you 'Your Majesty?'"

Maria's head shot up so suddenly, Seva jumped. The blankets tumbled unheeded to the floor. "Don't even," she hissed angrily. "Don't you dare. No formalities. Don't call me Princess or anything like that. I can't stand it."

"Why?" inquired Seva. "Because you don't believe me? Well, it's true. You're the Gerudo Princess. And by the way, if you want to move to larger quarters, we do have some rooms more ornate . . ."

"No!" at Seva's look, the girl elaborated. "I'm fine with this. I don't need anything . . . extravagant."

Seva shrugged. "Suit yourself. Well, would you rather stay here and sleep, or get up and meet some of the people that live around here? You've been here two days, you slept for one, and you haven't met anybody. Do you even know Booru?"

"Hmm?"

"Nabooru, our second in command, Ganondorf's half-sister. She's a lot like Ganondorf, doesn't ask for formalities and such. Why don't you come meet her?"

Maria considered it for a half-second and decided it was better than lying in bed all day. Quickly she dressed with magic and followed Seva down the hall. This time, curious Gerudo guards ignored their duties and stared at her as she passed. "Not very promising-looking, is she?" one muttered to another. They both laughed quietly.

_Flash  
__"Weak looking, and ugly too!"_

_"Maybe her mother got rid of her because she didn't want to raise something so stupid!"_

_"I feel sorry for her mother for having to give birth to her . . ."  
__Flash_

Maria frowned faintly and quickened her pace to catch up with Seva. She found Seva talking with another Gerudo woman. She was dressed in the classic pink outfit, silver bracelets on her upper arms wrought in intricate patterns. She glared down her nose at the girl, whose features immediately hardened until they betrayed no emotion.

"So . . . you're Maria, huh?" she asked. Maria nodded stiffly. "I must say, you look a lot like your mother."

_Flash  
"A filthy wretch, she was!"  
__Flash_

"Maria?" Nabooru asked uncertainly. Maria snapped back to attention.

"Sorry, what was that?"

Nabooru looked relieved. "I said that you could learn about the Gerudo, Seva could be your guide, or you could start work, or be like any normal Gerudo Princess and . . ."

"No, ma'am," she interrupted. "I . . . I'd rather work like anyone else here, ma'am. I . . . I don't want to . . . be a burden . . ."

"You rather work like the rest of us?" asked Nabooru. Maria nodded. "All right then. Seva, show her to the guard room and see if we need anyone to cover schedules. If not, she can help me today. By tomorrow we'll work out a new watch schedule."

Within an hour, Maria was Nabooru's unofficial assistant. She fetched different people, delivered paperwork and counted supplies with a small team of other Gerudo. Satisfied that Maria could find her way around, Seva returned to her old schedule.

Maria, finished with the general stocks, returned to Nabooru. The hours were simple, not too exhausting, and there were plenty of breaks. Nevertheless, all throughout the morning she was plagued by unpleasant memories. The only thing that suppressed said memories was hard work.

Nabooru accepted the sheaf of papers from her new assistant. "Thanks," she said, surprised at the girl's efficiency. She then took a sealed letter from her desk. "Deliver this to Ganondorf for me? And bring him here; I need to talk to him."

_Deliver this to . . . oh no, no way. Not a chance. _Ignoring her common sense, she said dully, "Yes ma'am."

Nyrr told her the way to the Gerudo King's study. She began to sweep off and straighten her clothes and hair, and then froze. _No way. If he doesn't like the way I look, then that's just too bad. He's never cared before. _However, she did knock politely.

"Enter."

The door was set in the corner of a spacious and well-lit room. The walls were lined with bookcases, mostly Gerudian or Ancient Hylian texts, though some were in Zoran, Goron, and Sheikan. How the Gerudo managed to amass even a small collection of Sheikah works, Maria would never know.

At the far end of the room was a dark-stone fireplace, empty for the moment, and a pair of bay windows thrown wide. Over by the right wall was a large desk, piled high with papers, more books, folders full of information, reports, watch schedules, and treaties. A map of Hyrule and one of Termina had been pinned to the wall.

Ganondorf glanced up from his work. "Yes?"

She approached cautiously. "Nabooru asked me to deliver this," she said in her politest voice. He accepted the letter and scanned it, then looked up, one eyebrow raised. "She also asked me to accompany you to her office," she said stiffly, noting the way he glared and felt that he distinctly disapproved of the interruption. _Too bad if he considers it an interruption,_ she told herself. _Nabooru wanted you to do this, and if he wants to complain, tell him to take it up with her._

"Really?" he asked stiffly. She nodded coldly. Finally, he stood. "Of course she did." He swept past her without even looking down, out the doors and down the hallway. She scowled and ran to catch up.

Ganondorf didn't even bother knocking, merely strode into Nabooru's office as informally as possible. She looked up when he arrived, a breathless-looking Maria not far behind him. "Maria, your shift is over," Nabooru told her. "Go take a break or something." Maria nodded sharply and left.

Nabooru wasted no time; as soon as Maria left, she stood and planted her hands on her hips. "First of all, didn't Mother teach you to treat a door as a door?" He scowled at her. "But that's not the point. You read my report?"

"Three Hylian soldiers reported outside the Valley entrance, looking the area over," her brother replied. "What does this mean?"  
"Your guess is as good as mine," replied Nabooru. "But perhaps it's like last time."

_Flash  
__"GANON! RUN!" screamed Liana. He ignored her and shot one last arrow into the mass of struggling bodies, hitting a soldier in the neck. Nabooru grabbed his arm and hauled him away, through the evacuation tunnel with the other kids and mothers._

_"Let GO!" he snarled, struggling against Nabooru and Liana. "Let me fight! I'm sixteen, I can take care of myself!"  
"Sorry, Milord," replied Liana. "Naika asked me to take care of you, there's no way I'm going to let you die."_

_Another explosion, closer this time, and the tunnel burst open. Ten soldiers rushed in. Liana dropped with a cry, arrow embedded in her leg. Children screamed and ran, pregnant women moved as fast as they could, heavy with child. Three girls and one woman died as arrows rained over the crowd._

_Black fire formed a solid wall in the tunnel, stopping the arrows in their paths and directing them back to those who fired them. Eight of the soldiers died instantly, the other two were cut to pieces by the sword he pulled from his belt. Jumping over the remains, he rushed through the tunnel and out into the night, annihilating any Hylian in his path. _

_They lost thirty that day, but their young Prince's actions saved hundreds. Liana was furious with him, but at least she was alive . . . .  
Flash_

"GANONDORF!" he jolted back to attention. "Din, I thought I'd lost you." She leaned against her desk. "Do you think they could be planning an attack?"  
"Possibly," replied Ganondorf distractedly. In his heart, he prayed to the gods that the death toll wasn't as steep as the time before . . . .

Maria stood high on the cliff face overlooking the Valley Entrance, the roar of the waterfall drowning out almost all sound. She kept her gaze focused on the narrow path, waiting, watching. It had been a few hours since her encounter with the Gerudo King, and she had no desire to encounter him again. The way he'd spoken to her, avoided looking at her, how _cold _he'd acted . . . .

Flickers in the darkness drew her attention. She quickly woke the dozing Nori. "What?!" she demanded. "I didn't get any sleep . . ."

"Shh!" she hissed. "Give me the Hawkeye."

Nori handed it over reluctantly. Maria placed the mask over her face, zoomed in using the lenses in the eyepieces, and lit up the area with fire from her hand. The figure stopped dead. "HELP!" she screamed.

Maria dropped the Hawkeye and scrambled down the ladder to the woman's side, a grumbling Nori at her heels. The woman was Brekka, a Gerudo guard Maria had met the day before. Her hand was bleeding, her hair disheveled, covered in sweat, clothes torn and muddy. "What happened, Brekka?" Maria asked urgently.

Nori called light into her hand and sent a bird-shaped messenger back to the Fortress. While they tried to calm Brekka down, Nabooru, Seva, Kuza, Yenna, Rane, and Rupee were running toward them, but in the lead was a dark shape covered by a heavy cloak.

Ganondorf reached them before any of the women and dropped down on Brekka's other side. "I was out hunting," Brekka choked. "I ran into a couple of Hylian soldiers close to the Valley, looked like they'd been checking the place out. They chased me here. I fell a couple times, I thought they'd kill me."

"Where are they?" Ganondorf asked quietly.

"Stopped near the entrance." Brekka tried to stand but fell back, wincing. "Ankle."

Ganondorf shook his head and pulled her up, leaving Rupee and Kuza to help her back to the Fortress. "Take the day off tomorrow and rest," he told Brekka.

"Thanks," she responded wearily. "I think I'll do just that."

The group began the trek back to the Fortress, all except Maria and Nori, who assumed their former positions. Nabooru passed Ganondorf and mouthed, "What did I tell you?"

"You were right," he replied in a whisper. "I just hope we can survive this time."**

* * *

Me: Tell me what you think, I personally think it was kinda boring. If you agree, tell me in a PM or review, peeps. Thanks.  
Talim: ...  
Me: Stop taking up space, Wind Girl!  
Talim: Review.  
Me: . . . Oh. Right.**


	5. Attack

**Chapter 5: Attack**

**Me: This chapter jumps around a lot, but it all comes together in the end.  
****(Sorry for the long wait, guys!! My computer's finally working semi-properly! GGirl89)  
****  
**

Things grew worse over the next two weeks. Rane and Kuza were attacked shortly after Brekka, Rane almost killed by a spear in the stomach. The only thing that saved her was a swift healing and plenty of Red Potions. 

Things changed after that day. Maria noted silently how much closer the Gerudo were to their weapons, that they talked less and paid attention to their surroundings more. Security almost doubled, Nabooru sent out scouting parties around the desert entrance every day, every few hours. Maria stayed with Kuza and Rane in the infirmary during break.

"This is boring," Kuza groaned, dark circles under her eyes betraying her lack of sleep the previous night. She shifted restlessly. "I've been in this infirmary for three days. I don't care what Ganondorf says, I . . ." She trailed off. The Gerudo King stood at the door, watching with expressionless eyes. "Uh . . ."

"Can you walk?" he asked her. His eyes were on her and her only, not even shifting to look at Rane, whose leg and stomach were far from mended.

"Yeah, I can. Let me leave, please!" she begged.

"Fine. Be back to work by tomorrow, take today off," he replied. He ignored Maria and strode out of the room. Maria scowled. _This _was the way she was going to be treated by him?

Kuza didn't seem to notice anything. "Help me up, would you?" she asked. Maria caught her arm and hauled her to her feet. "Thanks." She strode off, whistling, stumbling once or twice. Maria watched her go, pondering on other things.

-  
Once Kuza left the infirmary, she turned to look at the guard on duty, Yenna, hiding in the shadows of the windowless passage. Yenna leaned against the stone wall and crossed her arms. "Did you hear the way he acted?" Kuza asked softly.

The younger guard nodded. "It's stupid, I mean, if he's going to bring her here, why ignore her? He's her father, for Din's sake! He needs to pay more attention to her."  
"Got a plan?" asked Kuza.

Yenna grinned. "Trust me, I always do."

"This better not get us in trouble like last time," Kuza warned. "If it does, I'll blame the entire thing on you."

Yenna grinned. "Deal."

They shook on it, and Kuza departed for her room.

-  
Maria sighed; sweat beginning to develop on her forehead. She'd been hauling food supplies from outside, where the girls deposited it, to the cellars below for over three hours. Nabooru noticed this. "Take a break," she ordered.

"It's almost done," she protested. Nabooru was firm.

"Too bad. It's good enough; we've got three hundred people to take care of it, including me. If Ganondorf weren't helping with the horses I'd tell him to do it." At Maria's inquiring look, the woman laughed. "I can do that, he's my brother, he _has_ to listen to me. Well, he listens to everyone, but whether he'll obey is a question no one can predict." When she turned to leave, Nabooru remembered something. "Can you get him for me?"

Maria scowled, but kept it to herself. Smiling wearily, she turned back around. "I don't think so."

"Why?"

_Why should I? _she wondered angrily. Aloud she said, "I'm on break."

Nabooru chuckled. "Fine. See you around."

Maria nodded civilly and turned, heading down the halls to her room.

-  
Meanwhile, Nori and Yenna were sitting atop the rock wall, watching the Valley Entrance for dangers. Yenna spotted something through the rippling air. No, it couldn't be . . . .

"Nori?"

"Hmm?"

"Does that look like a Hylian party to you?"

Nori peered down at the Valley Entrance. "Sound the alarm," she said.

-  
Maria looked up, as did everyone around the kitchen table. A horn blared somewhere in the distance. Hakkai scowled. "Hylian soldiers," she said. "Another attack. There hasn't been one in six months, why now?!"

The girl ran worldlessly ran up the ramp that led down into the kitchen and outside, making her way up to the Tower. There she found Ganondorf, Nabooru, Yenna, Sira, and half a dozen others, all armed for battle. Ganondorf wore impressive leather armor with black plate around the shoulders, and knee joints, instead of the black robes he normally wore. Instead of the Gerudo outfits, the girls had light leather clothing on under purple silk tunics and white silk leggings, worn, serviceable soft-soled boots encasing their feet. Each carried a glaive, bow, or double scimitars.

"Get below," Nabooru ordered when she spotted Maria.

"And miss this opportunity to fight?" Maria drew her sword. "I think not."

"You'll do as you're told," growled Ganondorf. His tone left no room for argument.

She scowled at him, but it was no use. With a sigh she turned, marching straight out of the tower and down the stairs. She ran off down the hall and out into the sunlight. If she couldn't fight up in the tower . . . .

"MARIA!" it was Nabooru that yelled from far above, but she paid no attention. The Hylians were upon them now; those on the ground were fighting them off, trying desperately to prevent a breach of the outer Fortress. Maria snatched Kana's bow from her and fired into the crowd. One Hylian collapsed to the dust to rise no more.

The Gerudo women preferred to take prisoners rather than kill, and this they did. Maria fired steadily, slashing at arms and legs of soldiers that breached the main defenses and tried now to scale the walls with her sword . About an hour passed before she heard a shrill cry and looked down. Keni lay on the ground, blood streaming from her leg, a soldier fighting his way through the masses to strike her down.

"No way," Maria snarled angrily to herself. Gritting her teeth, she drew her sword and jumped directly into the fray. She stabbed at his arm; the sword skated off with a shower of sparks. He sliced at her, intending to cut off her head, and she jabbed him in the throat. He gasped and fell, blood flowing openly, and she ended his life by beheading him. She knelt quickly, shielded by a group of allies, and hauled Keni up, half-carrying her over to the wall.

"You saved me," she gasped. Maria only grinned and turned around. Two of her comrades brought Keni into the fortress.

A few hours passed, the soldiers retreated, some captured, three dead, and no Gerudo fatalities. Yenna suffered a broken leg when she fell from the third level to the ground, and others had minor cuts and bruises. Nabooru was absolutely furious with Maria, but she didn't care. It was better than losing the lives of the people she cared for.

* * *

**Me: Uh, nothing much folks. GerudoGirl's CPU must be having a good day today, otherwise you wouldn't be reading this. Oh yeah, I know the fight scenes were crappy, but . . . well, I have a TON of homework to get through. See ya later!  
Talim: Just remember to review!  
(Hey guys, I got my computer fixed today. Figured I'd post this today! GG89)**


	6. Cruel Words

**Chapter 6: Confrontations**

**Me: Hey! Excellent! New chapter! How'd everyone like the last one?  
Talim: The beginning of this turns a little dark, I don't know how everyone will react.  
****Me: Yeah, BTW, if you guys think I need to use more . . . advanced vocabulary, tell me. I think it sounds a little . . . yeah, you get the picture. Roll chapter 6!  
****(Hey, guys, my computer's been fixed! Yay! Dang thing . . . :( Anyway, I'll be posting at least one more chapter this week (I hope). Thanks for staying with this story, and please send reviews! GerudoGirl89)  
**

"My Lord . . ." the soldier shuffled forward to his leader's feet. He sat, half in shadow, on a throne-like chair on a dais, twirling his staff idly in one hand. 

"Did you destroy them?" he asked lazily. No point hurrying, no point at all. As long as these tools destroyed the Gerudo, he was perfectly content. He would finally achieve his goal

"No, My Lord." 

"WHAT!" his sense of accomplishment vanished, replaced by a towering rage. He stood and kicked the kneeling soldier in the stomach. He fell backwards, huddled in a shivering heap on the floor. Almost at once he flew into the air and smashed against the black stone wall. The shadowy man continued to throw the soldier against the walls and the floor, oblivious to his screams for mercy. Finally, his anger abated.

The soldier was bruised and covered in blood. He knew that at least three ribs were broken, maybe more. His helmet was lying on the floor a few feet away, dented from the ferocious attack. "My Lord," he choked again, "Please . . ."

There was no pity on the shadow's face as he took his sword and ran the soldier through. He collapsed, limp and dead, to burst into flame and vanish. "Fool," he said emotionlessly. "They survived because of your stupidity. Now they must pay." 

-  
Maria sat next to Yenna in the infirmary, waiting for Nabooru to come and yell at her. She hadn't said much after catching up with the girl, but ordered her to stay in the infirmary and help out. Poor Yenna was tired and bloody, and she needed the most help of anyone else. Her leg was twisted at an odd angle, but she grinned feebly despite the pain and looked the basically-unharmed girl over.

"I heard Keni owes you her life," she said to Maria. 

"Hardly, I only did what anyone else would do," the girl replied abruptly. She wasn't interested in others believing that what she did was so spectacular.

Yenna shifted restlessly. "Whatever. But you're going to catch hell from Nabooru and Ganondorf, I'll bet." Maria smiled hollowly and left it at that.

Sure enough, less than a minute later the doors burst open, Nabooru marching toward them and Ganondorf following in her wake. Nabooru had removed her leather armor, but the scimitars were still strapped to her waist. Ganondorf, on the other hand, hadn't changed at all.

She planted her hands on her hips and glared at the younger girl. "What the hell were you thinking?"

"That if I didn't do something, someone would die," replied Maria stiffly. "I don't regret my actions, nor will I ever. Punish me or exile me if you must, I only care that I didn't hide and pray that no one would be hurt."

The look on the second-in-command's face melted, and she sighed. "Well, you did help out Keni . . . we're not going to exile you . . . personally, it's what I would have done. Still, insubordination is no good. Three extra hours guard duty and two leading weapons classes. Let Ganondorf see you to your wounds," this was directed at Yenna, who grinned. Nabooru gave Maria a grim smile and left.

_That went over well_, she thought. _Better than I had reason to hope. Five extra hours won't kill me._

Yenna was grinning at Nabooru's decision. Ganondorf sat in the chair next to her bed, but she paid him no mind, for a new thought struck her. This was the perfect way to put her and Kuza's plan in action. "Can you heal?" she asked Maria conversationally. 

She broke away from her musings and winced. "Not well," she replied. There was something very strange about the look in her eyes . . . .

"Hey Ganondorf, maybe you should teach . . ." she broke off. The Gerudo male was already engulfed in a black aura, and the pain lessened in her leg. She noticed Maria watching him with irritation, frustration, envy, and . . . sorrow? Was that sorrow in her expression? 

Maria must have noticed Yenna studying her, for she turned away and left.

_-  
Flash  
__"Ronan!" the girl peered anxiously into the young man's face, terror blossoming in her heart. The bruised, bleeding boy smiled feebly as the lightning flashed and the rain soaked his clothes._

_"At least it isn't you," he said wearily. _

_She scowled at him. "I don't see it that way," she informed him, taking his hand. Purple sparks traveled from her fingertips into him, but theweak flow quickly stopped. "No, no . . . please . . . don't do this, not now, I have to do this . . ."  
"It's okay, Maria."_

_"No, it's not!" she cried. Salty tears streamed down her small face, mixing with the dark blood, his blood, and the furiously pounding rain. "I'm not strong enough . . . I'm sorry, Ronan . . . I'm sorry . . . ."  
__Flash_

She surged out of bed, tangled in the sheets, sweat rolling down her forehead, drenching her hair. She shivered and wrenched them away, tearing the fabric, wrapping her arms around her knees. _I'm sorry, Ronan . . . I'm sorry . . . _the words echoed in her head. She was gasping for breath, locked in the memories she'd long tried to suppress. That terrible night, she hadn't thought of it in four _years_, why did she have to be reminded of it now?

Maria slipped off the bed and into her private bathroom, deciding a bath would calm her down. She made sure the door was locked before undressing, slid into mildly warm water, then cleaned the sweat from her skin. Every night since the first battle, almost a week ago, she'd had the same dream. Every night, for almost a week, she had to undergo torture. The first time, she'd found tears on her cheeks in the middle of the night, and the night after, she'd almost called out to him when she awoke abruptly. She could have sworn someone was sitting on the edge of her bed like he used to.

_Ronan . . . Gods . . . _. She shivered at the memories and washed out her hair. _Maybe if I keep quiet they'll go away. It's always worked before . . . ._

_-  
__Crash! _The thin wooden target exploded on contact, and Maria grinned in satisfaction. She and her new teacher stood in a large, flat area surrounded by rocky cliffs, similar to the weapon training grounds. It was adorned with various things for manipulation of magic. Ever since the battle, Runa had been teaching her how to properly use her powers. She'd progressed some, at least she was able to break the target now. Runa was similarly pleased, she informed her young student that she adapted faster than most.

The older woman smiled. "Good. Now, try and deflect this," she charged up a ball of green energy, "for as long as you can." She threw the ball in Maria's direction. A purple shield materialized around the girl's body, keeping the green energy at bay. It didn't endure the strain long. The shield faded and the energy ball knocked into her, giving off a mild shock. "Excellent," said Runa cheerfully. "Ten seconds more than last time."

"Terrible," muttered Maria glumly. Only ten seconds!

"Don't be so hard on yourself," the mage scolded. "You're doing fine."

Maria looked away and fiddled with her sword belt. "Runa?"

"Hmm?"

"Is . . . is it possible . . . I-I mean, I'd like to learn how to . . . .""How to what?"

"How to heal . . ."

Runa clicked her tongue. If she found the girl's request strange, she kept it to herself. "You could ask Larra, she's the chief healer. She's in the infirmary, patching up Rane again. Dumb kid, she keeps tripping and falling over things. It's ridiculous." She stretched. "You can go now, if you like.""Thank you," she replied respectfully, and bowed. Runa nodded, grinning, and Maria walked away.-  
She entered the cool fortress, wiping sweat off her brow, and was about to turn down a hallway when three Gerudo blocked her path. The one in the middle wore a tan Gerudo outfit and white vest that complimented her dark brown skin. Her tan-brown lipstick made her lips stand out from her face, the identically-colored eye shadow attracted attention to her dark amber eyes. Her flaming red hair was held back in the traditional ponytail, adorned with a large topaz shard. The other two wore ruby and purple, but they seemed unordinary. 

The one in the middle Maria recognized as Enari, but the other two she'd never seen before. Enari she'd only seen from a distance, anyway. Her eyes were narrowed, giving Maria a sinking feeling. Kuza had warned her that Enari complained all the time, tried to make those that were unordinary feel horrible about themselves. And this was exception.

"Well, if it isn't the little hero," she crooned, folding her arms and leaning against the wall. "Heard you saved Keni. I'd be thanking you if it wasn't so obvious.""Obvious?" she asked coolly. Enari smirked.

"Anyone would have done the same thing," she coldly replied. "And you're lapping up all the credit for it. If there hadn't been people on all sides, protecting the two of you, then you wouldn't have done anything, would ya?" Maria kept silent, but Enari continued without a second thought. "And what about Ganondorf?" she asked casually, eyes sparking maliciously. "He didn't let you fight, _ordered _you to stay put . . . obviously, he doesn't think you're useful." She tossed her long hair over her shoulder. "Tell me, has he even called you by name yet?"

Maria felt cold inside. "What?"

"Has he even used you name?" she repeated. "Has he even _talked _with you?" Maria hesitated. "I thought not." The woman's laughter was scornful. "Did you know that most Gerudo men take multiple wives? Ganondorf was never like that, he gave his love to only one woman. And now that she's gone, you expect to receive love from him? Keep dreaming, kid." She examined her painted fingernails. "He doesn't love you, I don't even think he _likes _you. You remind him too much of his _only _love, besides Nabooru. He's grown distant with her too, doesn't talk with her like he used to. Shut himself away from everyone, even her, and she's his sister. If you expect to receive love, to be accepted by him, you're deluding yourself. I can see how hard you try to impress him, but you him, you're just a little nuisance." She grinned and rested her hand on her puffed-out pants. Her two friends smirked. "Find someone else to impress. Try a job as a personal maid or something in Castle Town, he's certainly not going to let you stay very long." 

Maria turned away and ran down the corridor, trying to block out the screeches of mocking laughter that followed her everywhere. _Find someone else to impress. Go home, go home . . . .  
_

**Me: Heh, cruel ending.  
****Taki: You noticed.  
****Me: Hush! Mitsurugi! Status report!  
Mitsurugi: According to this, GerudoGirl89 still thinks you're evil for doing this.  
****Me: Whatever. Review!  
(Okay, guys, the formatting/linesare off, but FFN won't let me change it for some reason. :( Anyway, yeah, um . . . review or whatever. GerudoGirl89)**


	7. Raids

Chapter 7: Confrontation

**Chapter 7: Raids**

**Me: Okay, guys, Chapter 7! And I would like to thank everybody that's reviewed so far, especially the extra-special Seldavia! You rock!  
****Talim: Yeah, yeah, get on with it.  
****Me: Anyway, I gotta admit guys; this is the farthest I've ever gotten in a story. Usually what I end up doing is writing a chapter, and then giving GerudoGirl89 the rest in a summary over email. She's actually been writing most of the last two chapters herself, with my consent. This chapter's also hers, I just write the author notes. ******** Review, you awesome people!  
****Talim: Wow . . . five lines on Microsoft Word. Stop taking up space and finish the chapter!  
****(This one's on me! GerudoGirl89)

* * *

**

"Oh, look, Enari's complaining again," commented Seva. She was leaning against the outside wall, spear forgotten in the corner, watching Enari with Nabooru. They seemed to be having a discussion, one Nabooru did not like. Of course, that was hardly a rare occurrence, Enari complained all the time about something, the lack of clothing material, the lack of makeup, dinner, weaponry, other people, everything she could think of.

Maria was scrubbing a dagger with an old rag she found, and upon the mention of Enari, the dagger slipped, cutting her finger. She scowled and used another corner of the rag to wipe the blood away. She put the knife off to the side, and then attempted to heal her hand, without success. "Working with Larra on healing skills?" Seva inquired.

Maria nodded grimly. "She says I'm doing fine, but I have the feeling I'm not doing as well as I should."

"It just takes practice," Seva encouraged. "You'll be fine." She tried to smile. "Maria, is something wrong?"

"Why would there be something wrong?" she said shortly. Seva shrugged.

"Because, you didn't eat at dinner last night, didn't talk to anyone, and from the looks of things, didn't sleep either."

She was quietly stunned. Seva could tell that from looking at her? Nevertheless, she hid her thoughts behind a blank face. She muttered, "I'm fine."

"Hmm . . ." Seva looked unconvinced. "Does it have something to do with Enari?"

"What makes you think that?"

"Because you almost chopped off your hand when I mentioned her."

Maria scowled deeply. "First of all, it was just a small cut, and second of all . . ." she sighed. "Yes, it does concern Enari. Happy?"

"What is it?"

Reluctantly the girl gave in and explained what Enari had said. Seva scowled. She growled something under her breath, and it didn't much intelligence to know that she was swearing.

"The problem is," she said sadly, "Ganondorf did say that. After his wife left, Nabooru asked him if he was going to remarry, she even halfheartedly suggested Lyre. He stared at her for a moment with a blank look on his face and said, 'One's enough for me.' Nabooru took it as a sign that he could never love anyone again. No one mentioned it after that." Maria looked down at the sand. "But still, that doesn't mean he doesn't love _you_, you're his daughter," Seva offered. It didn't cheer the girl up in the least. Seva grew upset when she saw the depressed look on her face. "Look, I know that doesn't really help, but he'll accept you, you'll see."

"If I'm extremely lucky," she muttered.

Seva frowned. "Don't worry about it." Desperate to cheer the girl up, she added, "Anyway, there's a group going on raids later, why don't you come along?"

Maria looked up. "You'd seriously consider having me along?" Seva could hear the slight tone of eagerness in her voice, and grinned to herself. At least she was distracted from worse thoughts.

"Why not?" she asked. "You're welcome to come along."

**-  
Hyrule Castle:  
**"Sir?"

"Hmm?"

"I have it." The soldier handed him a thick sheaf of papers. He looked through them absently, smirking to himself.

"All is in order?"

"Yessir."

"The soldiers have been trained properly this time?"

"Yessir."

"And perhaps, this time, it will be successful?"

"Yessir."

"Send me one of the soldiers that failed last time."

". . . Yessir."

The nervous soldier walked out, and the shadow leaned back in his chair, chuckling to himself. _Ah, perhaps, this time . . . _

Another soldier walked in, bandages wrapped around his head. "Yes, My Lord?"

His smirk widened, and the soldier began to sweat. "You failed last time." He leaned back farther, lacing his fingers behind his head. "But I have decided to let the rest of your filthy demon-spawn company live. Eighteen soldiers left, am I correct?"

The bandaged soldier swallowed hard. "N-nineteen, My Lord."

"Ah." The shadow grinned, displaying disturbingly sharp, pointed teeth. "Tell the King, two weeks from today, we will have our victory."

The soldier was relieved. "Yes, My Lord." He left, his Master's words repeatedly echoing in his head.

_Two weeks from today, we will have our victory._

-  
A light breeze rustled the dry grass by Gerudo Valley Entrance, carrying the sound of horses from the path to Lake Hylia. Five women crouched on the hill overlooking the path, weapons at their sides, waiting, watching.

Or, in the case of two, arguing. Despite Seva and Belle's best efforts to silence them, Hakkai and Rupee snapped back and forth, insulting each other's clothes, appearance, family, and abilities, anything they could think of.

"You worthless idiot!" Hakkai growled.

"Shut up about me!" squealed Rupee, loud voice carrying across the field. Hakkai punched her in the arm; Rupee smacked her in the face. "You fat, clumsy excuse for a thief!"

"Oh yeah?" retorted Hakkai. "You probably weigh twice what I do!"

"At least I don't have a belly easy to see through a tunic!" Rupee screeched.

"Die!" the pair leaped on each other; Rupee landed a punch on Hakkai's cheek, and Hakkai kicked her in the stomach.

Finally, Belle had enough. She and Seva separated the two forcibly, both still screaming curses. Maria winced at the noise and adjusted the eagle-painted Hawkeye over her face. Belle clamped a hand over both women's mouths. "Shut up, fools!" she hissed. "We're trying to sneak up on something, not scare it away!"

"Girls, quiet!" They all fell silent at Kuza's exclamation. "I see them!"

They listened hard. Through the slight morning mist came four horses, brown with white and gray markings. They hauled three small carts that bumped and rattled over holes in the Lake Hylia path. Two of the five people controlling the carts were blonde, good-looking young men dressed in brown and green tunics, leggings, and white shirts. The third was dark-haired and young, dressed in varying shades of gray. The fourth was the same age, though his hair was completely white, ice-blue eyes shifting from the ridge overlooking the path, to the sky, to the path itself. He was dressed in black. The fifth had hair like a raven's wings, wearing pale gray-blue robes over a white tunic. None of the men was armed.

Kuza smirked. "Great. Ready yourselves, girls." Each of them wordlessly took up arms; Maria removed the Hawkeye and  
gathered her sword.

-  
"Vaki, are we almost there? The horses need a rest."

Vaki, the white-haired man, was sitting on a crate looking out the cart window. He glanced down at blonde Kalin, whose eyes were impatient as he walked beside the cart. Of course, Kalin was always edgy. No matter how many times they made this trek to Hylia Lake from Termina, it never differed. Kalin would complain, his brother Seba would yell at him, and Setka and Ferez, the two black-haired, gray men, would sit quietly and patiently, unlike headstrong Kalin.

"Yes, Kalin," retorted Vaki, annoyance creeping into his tone. "Soon. We've done this thrice and you've no idea how long it takes . . ."

"Vaki!" it was Setka, and he sounded worried. "You'd better see this."

Vaki heaved himself upward and jumped out, glaring in the direction Setka gestured. "What?" he growled. Then, his words withered and died.

Five veiled women wearing Gerudo garments had leaped off the ridge and now circled their prey, holding bows and swords at the ready. The sixth was a girl dressed in black, wearing a similar black veil. However, Vaki discerned the memorable hair . . .

"Setka, it's Maria!"

-  
Belle grinned wolfishly, approaching the lead cart. The blonde boy, Seba, was desperately attempting to control the rearing horses. She wrenched the reins out of his hand, climbed up, and knocked him over the head with her spear. He dropped without a sound.

Everywhere, there was complete pandemonium. The Gerudo and Terminans yelled and screamed at each other, different languages a cacophony easy to hear half a mile away. Seva, Maria, and Hakkai searched for anything valuable in the Terminan supplies, Kuza, Rupee, and Belle rounded up the five men. Rupee brought ropes to bind the five securely with Seva's help. Belle snatched up everything useful and loaded it onto the six horses, two she'd stolen from the men and four Gerudo horses they'd brought.

"Found some material!" yelled Seva. She was rifling through the crates in the back cart, finding silks, cotton, food supplies, weaponry, and everything she needed. Vaki came to his senses. He silently drew a knife from his boot, climbing into the cart, raising it slowly . . . .

Maria saw the impending attack and reacted, smashing her sword hilt into his skull. He dropped, dazed, and she kicked the knife away. Seva turned at the noise, spotted Vaki, and grinned. "Thanks!"

All five men were tied close together in the shadow of their carts. No one had been injured so far, and both sides hoped it would stay that way.

-  
Half an hour in, Maria slipped away when no one was watching, pulling off the veil, and kneeling close to Vaki. "Sorry," she whispered.

"What the hell are you doing?" Seba demanded in an undertone. Maria glanced in Kuza's direction hastily, and then bent closer.

"You've fallen in with a group of rough types!" hissed Setka.

"Gerudo thieves!" added Kalin, groggy from the blow delivered to his face by Rupee. "Damn it, that stings!"

"Keep your voice down!" she urged him. "Look, no one's going to get hurt, we're not going to take everything. I'll leave you guys enough money to stay at the Inn in Castle Town; they'll make sure you have enough food to make it to Hylia Lake. Just shut up and be good."

"Why the hell are you doing this to us?" inquired Ferez quietly. "I thought we were friends."

Maria hesitated, avoiding his eyes. "We are. No one else can know that. Promise me."

"Why are you with Gerudos?" demanded Kalin.

"Isn't it obvious?" Vaki had finally spoken. Everyone looked at him curiously. "I am glad you have finally found your family."

Maria sighed. "It's . . . it's not what I thought, Vaki. Not at all."

He nodded gravely and gazed at the sky. "I am sorry."

She nodded and placed Vaki's knife close to him. "Cut yourselves free when we're gone, not before. Got it?" All five nodded. "Good. And, Kalin? Stop complaining about the long ride. Okay?"

He scowled. "Fine."

She grinned and put her veil back on. "See you guys sometime; maybe I can get away for the Festival of Time."

Quiet parting words like, "Bye, Maria," "See yuh," "So long," "Farewell, Maria," followed her on the way back to the horses. The girl approached Seva, who told her to mount behind her. She did so, with a last wistful glance at the three carts and her friends.

-  
"You did good, girls," Nabooru leaned back in her chair, eyes sparkling. "We've collected enough food to last us a month, material for clothing, supplies for the horses . . . even three new horses total. Eight raids, two of them featuring you," she indicated Seva and Belle, who bowed respectfully, "have earned you all two days off."

The girls cheered, and even Maria couldn't stifle a smile. A day off was a rarity in Gerudo Valley, a day to go to Castle Town (If they could make it in time), or just goof off. Maria was looking forward to exploring the Fortress, even in three weeks she hadn't seen much.

"You're dismissed." The six left the room, chatting happily. When they were mostly gone, Seva turned on Maria.

"What do you plan on doing with your two days off?" she inquired. Kuza and Yenna told her about their plan, and she liked it. This was another wonderful opportunity to bring the girl and her rather distant family together.

"Well, I was going to explore a little," she admitted. Kuza came up and met Seva's eyes swiftly. _Perfect._

"Well, you could check out the Library," suggested Seva innocently. Maria's eyes lit with interest, making both women confident this would work out.

"Library?"

"Yep," replied Kuza, "large place, really. Everyone's permitted in, even if you're in trouble they don't take away your right to read and learn. Most of the books were stolen from rich old Hylians and Terminans, but our Pirate cousins deal with them. We trade books back and forth, always looking for a rare novel or nonfiction about ancient races. My cousin, Emai, she just found one on the Parallel Time theory, sent it just the other day."

"Maybe I should look it over," the girl murmured. Her mind was clearly elsewhere.

"Sure, I'll take you," Kuza said eagerly. "Ganondorf's usually in the Library if he's not working. He knows his way around better than any of us."

_That _took the light right out of Maria's expression. "No, thanks," she said bluntly. "I'd rather not."

"Why not?"

Maria scowled. "I'd hate to prove a distraction."

And she turned and left. Kuza and Seva stood there, frozen and confused. "She must really hate him," Kuza confided to Seva, watching the girl's receding back. The older woman nodded grimly. "But she has reason; he completely ignores her and treats her like . . . I don't even have a clue what to say."

"Like a common Hylian."

"Sure, that'll work. He really needs to talk with her or something," Kuza went on, "Maria's obviously lonely, despite our attempts to befriend her, and there was something funny about the way she interacted with those Terminans."

"I noticed," replied Seva dryly. "There was something between them . . ." she shrugged. "What are we going to do about it?"

"Ask Nabooru to talk to Ganondorf for us?"

"That's the stupidest . . ." Seva stopped. "Actually, not a bad idea."  
They turned around and entered Nabooru's office, preparing to tell her everything they'd seen and to ask what they could do.

-  
"Hey, Kid." Maria turned wearily. It was Enari, flanked by two of her friends.

"Enari," she replied through gritted teeth. Enari smirked. "What do you want?"

The young woman circled her, hands on her hips, strutting about in a state of self-satisfaction. "Heard you went on a raid today," she said. "Did you cry when your victims threatened you with a knife?"

"No."

Enari laughed. "Sure ya didn't. Belle mentioned in passing that you seemed to know the men. Did you have . . . a relationship or two?"

"Are you suggesting what I think you are?" Maria inquired coldly. Four passing Gerudo stopped to watch, apprehensive looks on their faces. Enari's unpleasant smile grew.

"I don't think Ganondorf would like it if his 'precious daughter' was involved with a Hylian or Terminan. Wait," she stopped to laugh, "you're half-Hylian scum anyway, defiled a perfectly Gerudian bloodline with a Hylian mother. They should kill you just to keep the line clean, it's a mercy killing. You don't deserve life anyway. It's not like anyone here cares, especially Ganondorf. He'd rather watch you die, bleeding filthy Hylian-'pure' Gerudian blood all over the floor."

The girl's hands balled into fists, and one of the watching Gerudo slipped away to alert Seva, Nabooru, and Ganondorf if she had to, just to make sure this didn't escalate.

"Why don't you just leave me alone," growled Maria.

"Hah!" Enari said scornfully. "No one will, it's not a good idea to ignore you, kid, if we do we'll probably wake up with our throats slashed. You're a traitor and a worthless waste of humanity."

Seva had arrived by then, Kuza, Yenna, and Rupee in tow. They watched the scene anxiously, waiting for one or the other to react. Finally, Maria turned away.

"Look at me, wretch!" screamed Enari; she seized Maria's arm and wrenched her around, then delivered a sharp slap to her face. Maria broke free, but Enari tackled her, punching her in the jaw. Maria hissed angrily and smacked the older woman's cheek; Enari's hand wrapped around her throat. "Die," she hissed. Maria kicked her in the stomach. She squirmed free of her chokehold. Enari thrust her fist into Maria's face. Dimly, the girl heard something snap. She retaliated by punching Enari, blackening her eye.

Seva and Rupee had been pinned to the wall by Enari's friends, others that supported Enari had done likewise to anyone remaining that dared take Maria's side. Enari pulled a knife from her waistband. She jabbed it into Maria's upper arm. Hot blood blossomed; she was blind with the pain. Another crack; her fingers were broken. And strangely, the pain felt good. _Familiar . . . ._

The weight lifted, someone had wrenched Enari off of her. A second pair of arms pulled Maria to her feet. Nabooru was the one that restrained Enari, Seva had broken free of her opponent; she was the one that helped Maria now.

Things became worse in an instant. Ganondorf stepped in.

-  
He observed everything with irritation and poorly-concealed anger. There was dead silence: they waited for him to speak.

"What," he said at last, "the hell is going on here?"

"It's her fault, Milord," Enari gestured toward Maria, the skin around her eye now a spectacular purple color. "She attacked me, sir, said that I have to follow her every order because she's Royalty. When I refused, she attacked me."

"Liar!" Maria snapped.

"Silence!" She closed her mouth, seething inside. _Injustice,_ her mind hissed.

"But she really isn't telling the truth, sir," said Seva in her politest voice. Maria flashed her a quick smile. "Enari attacked Maria, not the other way around."

"Seva's the liar!" yelled Nafeer. Everyone started to yell and scream at each other, Enari's friends against Maria's.

"Enough!" yelled Ganondorf and Nabooru simultaneously. They fell quiet. "Now. Six hours extra work for everyone." There was a storm of protests. He raised his voice over the shouts, "Anyone that has a day off loses it."

"WHAT?!" Kuza, Rupee, Seva, Hakkai, Nafeer, Enari, Maria, and anyone that remained glared at him angrily.

"Sir," began Seva.

"That's the way it goes," Ganondorf interrupted shortly. "Six hours for being in this fight . . ." he glared at Maria, "Eight for starting it."

If they expected her to protest, they were all surprised. Instead, a grin spread across her face, but not of joy, a strange, maniacal grin that made even Kuza shudder. Maria began to laugh quietly, dangerously and evilly. The blood on her face and crippled fingers made her look deranged. Her hair and clothes were also bloodstained, disheveled, torn in multiple places. She still gripped Enari's knife, splattered with her own ruby-red blood. Her eyes held a certain spark as she looked at first Nabooru, then Ganondorf, then Enari. Even the Desert Woman paled. This was not normal at all.

"Maria?" Seva asked concernedly. Maria merely turned and walked down the corridor, still-soft laughter echoing off the walls.

**

* * *

****Me: Yep, pretty disturbing, huh?  
Talim: Undoubtedly.  
****GerudoGirl89: Yeah, I think so too. You're a maniac, Wave.  
****Me: Maria is, not me!  
****GerudoGirl89: Whatever. Review!**


	8. Confrontations

**Chapter 8: Confrontations**

**Me: Thanks, everybody, for the faves, comments, alerts, and all. This story is, regretfully, winding to a close, but I'll most likely do a sequel. I hope :)****  
****Talim: Don't be shy to REVIEW!  
****Me: Wrong author's note, Wise One.  
****Talim: Shut up and finish the chapter.

* * *

**

"Maria?" Seva's eyes adjusted to the darkness of the girl's room, barely able to discern a shape standing beside the window, gazing over the moonlit sand. She was dressed plainly, black shirt and pants without her usual sword belt. Her hair was unbound, but clean; she'd washed after the fight at least. Runa fixed her broken nose. Her hand was wrapped in cloth; her fingers were hard to heal, being so small and delicate. A thicker bandage wrapped around her left shoulder to the opposite hip, covering wounds in her shoulder and stomach.

Maria didn't turn around. "What?"

"Are you all right?" asked Seva uncertainly.

The girl didn't even twitch. "Why would something be wrong?"

"Well, you sounded quite unhinged when you walked away from the fight," she explained, "and Runa said you didn't talk at all, you didn't struggle when she put on the bandages or healed your nose . . . and your laugh, Maria, it sounded insane. You sounded like you were mentally deranged, scared the hell out of Enari and Kuza, and even me."

"Maybe I am deranged," the girl said quietly.

"I doubt it," replied Seva, "but you looked like you were going to kill someone, and I thought maybe you might try to kill Enari or Ganondorf."

"It's what I should have done," Maria muttered resentfully, voice almost inaudible.

Seva frowned. "Huh?"

"Snapped Enari's neck when I had the chance."

"Don't talk that way," Seva replied sternly.

Kuza and Rupee appeared in the doorway. "You okay, kid?" asked Rupee. Maria scowled, but no one knew, because her back was still turned.

"Fine."

"Sure scared the hell out of us, kid," Kuza plopped down on the bed without an invitation. "Creepy laugh, covered in blood, hair in your face, like a maniac. Wouldn't have been surprised if you'd taken that knife and run one of us through."

"All right!" they all flinched. "I get it, all right? I get it. Just leave me alone. Or, if you insist on staying, change the subject."

No one dared to argue, so Rupee changed the subject. "How'd you know those Terminans the other day?" she asked, hoping to cheer Maria up. "You seemed like you knew them."

Maria glared at the moon. She didn't want to tell them, she wanted them to leave. Damn them and their obstinate ways. At last, "They came to Hyrule two years ago, to speak with my guardian," she said the word with raw sarcasm, "about some metalwork. They've always traveled together, Vaki, the man with white hair, was friends with Seba and Setka's fathers, Ferez joined them because he had no place to go. Vaki took a liking to me for some reason; he talked with me when he was finished with business. About a month later I went to Termina to deliver some things, learned it was Vaki I was taking them to, struck up a conversation. His friends were there when I arrived; we chatted a while, then I had to leave."  
"Your guardian let you go alone?" interrupted Rupee. "He wasn't afraid you'd be hurt, or run away, or lose your way?"

The girl's face hardened. "There are ways to find out where a person is, without seeing them yourself."

"Like, a bond spell?" asked Seva.

Maria nodded coldly. "Eternity Bond. He knew exactly where I was every moment of the day when I went to Termina, took it off in between times."

"Those things are painful as hell, even if they aren't solid matter," said Kuza thoughtfully. "He let you go through that type of pain?"

"Get out," Maria said sharply, without any warning. "I'm tired, I don't want to talk about this any more. Go. Leave me alone, please." She shooed them from her room, slamming the door hard behind them.

Kuza looked startled. "Well, that went well," she said sarcastically.

"I think there's more to her story then she's willing to tell us," piped up Rupee.

"Ya think?" demanded Seva mockingly. "More than that, whatever it is she won't tell us has to be pretty bad. I'm really worried for her, but she won't tell anyone what's wrong."

"We all know what's really wrong," interjected Kuza, and Rupee nodded. "Ganondorf, first of all; we asked Nabooru what we could do. She said she'd take care of it, but she hasn't done much. Second, whatever's in her past, her fixation on healing, how used she is to pain, mysterious people we don't know that she's known for years." She shook her fiery head. "Even thinking about her history scares me."

"What can we do?" asked Seva thoughtfully, pacing the corridor. "If she won't talk, how can we help her?"

"Maybe we can't. Maybe all she needs is Ganondorf to treat her right," suggested Rupee.

"That'll never happen," said Kuza darkly. The others agreed.

-  
"You asked to see me, Nabooru?"

She nodded shortly. "Sit down, brother, I have something to discuss with you."

Ganondorf sat on the couch in her living quarters, waiting impassively for her to speak. She paced the room before speaking. "I'll cut to the chase. Your behavior the last few weeks is utterly ridiculous. And your reaction today was pathetic."

"Meaning?" he asked sharply.

She scowled. "Don't interrupt. I mean the way you're treating Maria. The way she laughed scared the hell out of me, she sounded deranged. Someone needs to talk to her."

"And this concerns me why?" he inquired.

"Someone meaning _you_, Ganon," she said irritably. "You haven't even talked to her since she came here. You treat her like horse manure, you bring her here and then act like she's some inconvenience the gods decided to burden you with. What the hell is wrong with you?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean," she said through gritted teeth, "you _knew _Enari started the fight, but you blamed Maria for it. You didn't even offer to heal her! Why are you treating her this way?!"

"I don't know what you are talking about."

"You act like she's not human! She's tried to prove herself, she's tried to gain acceptance, but obviously you don't give a damn. She needs help, she needs someone to talk to, someone that cares for her . . ."  
"And this is my problem how?" he coldly inquired.

"Mother Farore!" snapped Nabooru, patience expended. "You're her _father_, Ganondorf, you're _supposed _to _care_. How can you say you don't care at all?! Have you even tried _talking _to her, besides to criticize and punish?! Nayru help us all, brother, don't you remember Eri?"

_Flash  
Three years. It had been three years since she left, and, as he bitterly reminded himself, the girl would be three years old. But he distracted himself from the thought when he noticed another girl, maybe ten or eleven, sitting against the wall with her knees hugged to her chest, looking out and over the sand, amber eyes clouded with pain and sorrow.  
__  
"Sad, isn't it?" Nabooru had come up without him noticing. "Her mother died in that sandstorm three days ago. She has no one else to take care of her; Enari suggested we get rid of her."  
__  
He suppressed a scowl. "Of course she would." He looked the girl over. Lightly tanned skin, fiery red hair, thin nose, topaz eyes; basically, the perfect Gerudo. No one could tell she had a Hylian father by looking at her.  
__  
"Fine."  
__  
"Hmm?"_

"I'll take her if no one else will."

_"Are you sure?" Nabooru asked gravely. "I know you're unhappy about losing her and the girl, but you don't have to take care of some stray . . ."_

_"I want to," he said firmly. "You and I, Nabooru, above all people, know what it's like to grow up alone."  
__Flash_

"Do you ever hear from her?" asked Nabooru.

"Once a month," Ganondorf coldly answered. What does this prove?"

"That you're capable of caring for someone else, obviously!" The scowl on his face deepened. Nabooru pressed on. "And when I punished her for fighting when we both said no? I wouldn't have done anything if you hadn't pressured me!"

"Insubordination," the Gerudo male snapped. "If everyone disobeyed orders we wouldn't survive to see a new month!"

"You fool!" Nabooru said exasperatedly. "Can't you see? She's _you_, brother! remember the last time the Hylians attacked? Lina wanted you to stay in your chambers, but you knocked out the girls guarding you, stole your sword and bow from the armory, and fought like any of us! You were _sixteen_, and I was what, twelve? Eleven? I was Maria's age, and I fled while you fought! Because you're brave, and I'm not. She's a brave kid, she doesn't want anyone hurt, she's just like you!"

"This is ridiculous." He stood and turned to the door. Nabooru blocked his path.

"No." Her expression was furious. "Why, brother, why don't you care for her?"

"Nabooru, let me out," he growled.

"No." When he attempted to push her out of the way, she cried, "Is it because she reminds you of her?" he froze. "Is it because she's so much like her? Well, she's not. She's your daughter. For the first five years you were obsessed with trying to find her, and I know, I _know _this is my fault. I encouraged you to move on, to forget, because I didn't think you'd find her. Well she's here now, she's here and all she needs is acceptance! You act like you don't care!"

"Maybe I don't!" and finally, the words he'd been repressing slipped out without effort. It felt horrible to say, but it was the truth. The King of the Gerudo, the most intelligent of the lot, who spent more time reading than anyone else, had no idea whether he truly loved Maria or not. In this, he was completely clueless.

Nabooru stared with a blank expression on her face, oblivious to the crackling fire or the shouts of the mock battles outside her window. The words of her older brother, the only family she had left, reverberated in her head. "What?" she managed at last, "How could you not love her? You did all those years . . ."

He sighed, exhausted mentally and physically. "Maybe I don't, Nabooru. It's been too long. All those years with nothing, raising someone else. Don't take that wrongly, I enjoyed taking care of Eri, she was what I never had. But . . . as far as I'm concerned, my daughter died the day I chose to move on."

And he turned to leave, a heatbroken Nabooru in his wake.

* * *

**Me: Well, folks, uh, GerudoGirl suggested this, just to add drama. It's a little sad, but . . . yeah, uh . . . .  
****Talim: Die.  
****Me: What do you care, insect?!  
****Talim: It's so sad. I wanna cry.  
****Me: Whatever. You're being replaced anyway. Review, you wonderful people!  
****(Hey, if anyone's reading this and also reads "Ghost in the Inn," it's on hiatus for a while. Just for a while longer, I promise. So . . . I can't do author's note chapters, and this was the best way I could tell everybody. Check my profile for more info. GerudoGirl89)**


	9. Rising Darkness

**Chapter 9: Rising Darkness**

**Me: Hello everybody! Please don't kill me for last chapter.  
****Talim: DO IT!  
Me: Talim, I already replaced you.  
****Talim: With who?  
Cassandra: Me!  
****Talim: Dang.  
****Me: Roll the chapter!  
****Cassandra: Wave owns Maria and the Gerudos. Period.

* * *

**

_"RUN!" the rain pounded on both of their backs as they ran, barefoot, out of Castle Town and into the Field. Clad in soaked, dirty tunics, the two ran for their lives from the shadow that followed. The soldiers that could see through the dark and rain stared, but did nothing except go inside the guardhouse, into the warmth and light that was forbidden to the hunted quarry._

_Ronan gripped Maria's arm to prevent himself from slipping, panting hard, and looking around. "This is hopeless," she said miserably. "Ronan, we're not going to escape. Let's go back before . . ."_

_"Do you want to spend the rest of your life like this?" he demanded. "Come on. Let's get out of . . ." he stopped with a cry. An arrow sprouted out of the back of his shoulder. He tried to run forward but slipped in the mud. She yelped and ran to his side._

_"No ya don't!" an arm wrapped around her stomach, another around her neck. She screamed, but there was no air to scream. No air to speak. Was she breathing or crying? Even she couldn't tell. Was there sound? All was drowned out in the hissing rain, the thunder and lightning, the struggles of a young man to rise from the mud and care for ruby blood issuing from his shoulder. _

_"RONAN!" she screeched, if she spoke at all. She was being dragged back into Castle Town, and the injured boy was quickly receding. "No! Ronan!"_

_"Maria! I'll be fine, just go with him!" he yelled. "He'll kill you otherwise!"  
_

Was it a dream, or reality? She fought to escape the strong arms encircling her, or were they the sheets on her bed? As she thrashed and cried out softly for Ronan, a sudden weight suddenly lifted from the side of the mattress, as if someone had been sitting there and become startled when she awoke. Tears streamed down her face, mingling with the sweat rolling from her forehead. She tumbled out of bed and conjured up a small ball of purple fire. There was no one there. No one at all.

"Mother Farore," she whispered, sliding down to the floor amidst her blankets. "What's happening to me?" she couldn't cry, not really. She couldn't cry anymore.

She sat there for what seemed like hours, shivering, covered in sweat, feeling the arms around her, cutting off her air. _What it's like to not be able to breathe . . . _Whenever she was sad, whenever she felt like ending her life, Ronan had always been there. They'd sit together; he'd hold her as she cried, and she'd do the same for him. Until the day he died, he was there for her, she was there for him. The day of his death, they'd both received beatings, and cried together, sitting in a corner of her tiny room.

"No, not that memory . . ." she gathered up the blankets and threw them on the bed, then took a bath. _Memories don't wash off like dirt does_, a tiny part of her mind thought. Viciously she ignored it and grabbed the lotions for her hair. Nevertheless, she couldn't forget. Ever.

-  
The Gerudo Mess Hall was probably the largest room in the entire Fortress. It was long and low ceilinged, with great windows to let in the light carved into the long sides. Four rows of tables ran the length of the room, and to enter one had to open the doors and walk between two of the rows. At the opposite end were two other rows of tables that ran the width of the room. The food was served in the largest kitchen; the door was at the far end of the room. The women lined up from the door and along the walls to receive their meals and find a place to sit.

Rupee, Yenna, Kuza, Seva, and even Hakkai usually sat together at mealtimes. The girls had learned their lesson, making sure to put plenty of room between Hakkai and Rupee. "So. Rane out of the infirmary?" asked Rupee.

"Don't talk with your mouth full," snapped Yenna. "Yeah, she's out."

Already bored with the conversation, Seva looked around. Nabooru looked especially glum today, playing with her food without eating it. Enari looked smug as she chatted with her girlfriends. Ganondorf wasn't even around, but he never was during mealtimes.

Meanwhile, the girls were talking about random things, who was on raids, local gossip, stealing things, men. Seva looked around aimlessly, and then something caught her eye . . . .

"Mother Din," she breathed suddenly. Everyone glanced in that direction. Four pairs of amber eyes and one pair of orange widened.

"Farore . . ."

"Holy, sweet Nayru . . ."

Hair unkempt, eyes tired and shadowed, ungracefully thin, hunched over her broken hand, Maria had entered the Mess Hall, usually immaculate clothes disheveled. She was paler than ever; strange bruises on her cheek made it look almost translucent. She calmly grabbed a tray of food and sat next to Hakkai. There was complete silence among the girls as they stared at her.

"Maria?" Seva said quietly.

"What?" she asked blankly, not understanding why they were gawking. Then she looked down at her clothes and reddened. "Oh, yeah, I forgot to fix them, I was helping Rizr catch that damn wild horse she found, he broke out of his enclosure. Smashed my hand, thank Farore he wasn't stamping on it; he smacked the fence with my hand between it."

"Are you sure that's all?" inquired Yenna. "You look a mess."

Maria grimaced. "Thanks. Yeah, I fell last night; I had two hours' punishment work from the fight to finish. I tripped over something in the dark and landed on my face." She indicated the bruises.

"So that's where that crate of food Rupee was carrying went," joked Yenna. Rupee scowled playfully.

"I was lazy and didn't want to carry it," she pouted. "So, you're not trying to kill yourself or promote self-abuse?"

"I wish," the girl retorted. "I've had enough-" she stopped. "Uh . . ." _Damn . . . ._

"Enough what?" demanded Kuza.

"Maria, I have the feeling you're not telling us something," Seva said quietly. "What is it you don't want to talk about?"

The girl, curiously, gave her a pleasant smile. It was almost too sweet. "That's the point, Seva," she said, "it's something I _don't _want to talk about."

She peacefully finished her meal, stacked the tray with the other used ones, and left for work.

**Hyrule Castle:**

He gazed at the lines of soldiers. How proud they looked, clad in shining armor, the higher ranks on noble white horses, weapons gleaming. He paced the width of the army, dressed in black and emerald. "Are we ready, then?" he asked quietly. "Are we ready, to destroy the stain upon our people, to eradicate the filthy burden, despised even by the Goddesses themselves? ARE WE READY," he suddenly roared to the sky, "to bring death upon the Gerudo?"

"Yes Sir!"

"FOR HYRULE!"

"_**FOR HYRULE!!**_"

"**FORWARD**!" as one, they stepped from the inner courtyard of Hyrule Castle, through the Town, and out the gates, and he watched them go. _Finally. Destroy the Gerudo. _He chuckled. _You have three days, thieves. And then comes death_.

Cloak billowing in the breeze, he turned and vanished into the castle.

-  
Work complete, Maria relaxed in the Tower. She usually spent all her time in her room, but tonight was a completely cloudless night over Gerudo Valley, lit by the perfectly the full moon, and she had to see it.

She gazed out over the sand and sighed. _Never been able to do this before . . . . _Absentmindedly she brushed her finger over her bare arm, resting on the burn mark inflicted on her when she was seven. She remembered every lasting scar, burn, improperly healed bone; every night spent crying herself to sleep over the pain, eventually becoming separate from it, tears flowing only when she endured an especially terrible beating.

_Farore, I __**have**_ _to keep my mind off that_, she brushed a few strands of hair away from her face. However, being outside, lit by the moon, it only reminded her of the nights she spent in Termina, suffering the pain of an Eternity Bond, looking toward the moon and praying to Mother Farore to escape from it all. The first time she traveled to Termina after Ronan died, she'd sat against the wall and cried for the first time since his death nearly four months previous.

She sighed again and turned to leave. Almost immediately, she leaped back, drawing a knife from her belt. The figure behind her was just as startled by her abrupt, swift move, and took a step back.

She hid her irritation behind a blank face. Ganondorf had snuck up behind her almost soundlessly. _What the hell does he want? _she growled to herself. He opened his mouth to say something, hesitated, and looked away awkwardly. _Can't even look at me, can't even talk to me . . . . _She scowled and left without a word.

**Hyrule Field:  
**

"My Lord, we are making excellent time," the speaker was a red-robed spell caster travelling with the Hylian party.

The shadow grinned into the emerald orb. "Estimated time of arrival?"

The man smirked. "Two days, maybe less."

"How do you make up a day of travel?"

His smirk only widened.

His Master chuckled darkly. "Very well, then. Our victory comes sooner than we expect. Wake them for an early start, you still have a long way to go."

"Understood," said the mage, and the globe darkened.

_Two days, maybe less . . . . _

**

* * *

Me: Hello!  
****Cassandra: Review, please!! Two things you liked, one Wave/his editor should improve! Or standard review.  
****GerudoGirl: The editor has a NAME, Cassie. Review, people!**


	10. The Price of War

**Chapter 10: The Price of War**

**Me: Hello everybody. Sorry I'm so late; GerudoGirl89 started her own SSB story (Read it!) and forgot all about finishing my chapter. No author's note today. And please, if you read this, review? They're good for the soul.  
****Talim: Last chapter, people!

* * *

**

The Fortress was quiet. Only those on guard duty made any noise. The sun had not yet risen, most everyone was asleep at this early hour. No Guay flew through the gray sky. Even Maria was sleeping, though uneasily.

Peace.

-  
Yenna lifted her head. She was guarding the base of the hill on which the Fortress stood. It was the normal boring routine, until hoof beats alarmed her. There were only two options: the two parties on duty outside the Valley entrance had been defeated by a mounted intruder, or seen something that worried them. She gripped her weapon hard and prepared to confront whoever came close.

Sure enough, here came Kaiz, mounted on her black stallion, purple cloak snapping in the wind. She jumped before her horse came to a full stop, rolling on the ground to break her fall, and ran hastily to Yenna's side. She was pale, trembling in fear and horror. Yenna instantly went cold. Kaiz was one of the bravest people she knew.

"Hylians," Kaiz gasped, "hundreds. A few hours away."

And just like that, the peaceful silence of Gerudo Valley was shattered.

-  
An hour later, everything was chaotic; messengers ran up and down the halls to the leaders of the different warrior groups, assistants checked weapons and armor supplies, Healer trainees checked supplies of potions and herbs. Two floors underground, a still-pale Kaiz and the majority of the warrior division leaders sat in conference.

"So," Ganondorf leaned heavily against the wall, "how many, you said?"  
"Maybe fifteen-hundred, Milord," answered Kaiz.

Nabooru gulped. "That's . . . that's five to one! There are three-hundred of us, ten are Healers, fifteen are Trainees . . . only twelve others besides the two of us," she motioned to Ganondorf, "can use Magic . . ."

"What about Maria?" interrupted Kuza. "After last time, I don't think she's going to go down the Evacuation Tunnel alone, nobody's pregnant and the oldest kid is Narini, she's nineteen. Moreover, Maria can use spells. She does better fighting than Wards or anything, but . . . well . . ."

"Get her," ordered Ganondorf. Kuza nodded and ran out. The moment she left, his head drooped. "We're not going to get through this without fatalities. We have to kill them quickly, send in one or two groups at once, only the best. Nabooru, go with the second group, I'll go with the first. Rupee can go with the third, figure out the rest." He directed his orders to the messenger sitting beside the door. "I want everyone able to create Wards here in three minutes, battle-mages to Nabooru. Leave those with Healing abilities alone." She stood up and left hurriedly. Almost as soon as the solid doors closed, they banged open once more, this time by Kuza, dragging an irate Maria behind her.

"Maria," she looked up at Nabooru. "Can you use Wards and fight at the same time?"

The girl nodded swiftly. "But I do better at blowing things up, Ma'am."

Even Ganondorf had to grin at that.

"Good," replied Nabooru. "You'll go with the first group of fighters. Get ready." Maria inclined her head slightly and turned, vanishing through the doors again. "The rest of you, disperse!"

As the others followed Maria, Nabooru leaned in to talk with her brother. "She's a good kid," she muttered.

"I know."

-  
The first group of warriors assembled outside. Tinges of red and pink scattered across the dark sand as the sun began to rise. Everyone was tense, waiting silently, except for the occasional, distant whinny from an impatient horse. Two women were stationed at the Valley entrance to warn the others when the Hylian party arrived.

Maria stood at the back of the party, standing on the second floor, testing the bow she'd snatched. Ganondorf stood near the front of the group, practicing absently with a sword twice as wide as she was, and much taller even at the hilt. There was dead silence. And then, "FOR HYRULE!" The reaction was instantaneous. As one, the Gerudo drew their weapons, those on horses tugged sharply on the reins; archers fit arrows to their strings . . . .

The first row of Hylians approached, mail gleaming in the rising sun, weapons polished, horses well groomed and powerful. The leader waved the banner, a yellow Triforce, above the holy red Phoenix, on a sky-blue field. Ganondorf raised his fist, waited a second, and let it fall.

Both armies charged, Hylians with screamed battle cries, Gerudos almost soundlessly, save for a few yells of, "Death to Hylians!" in their native tongue. Ganondorf fearlessly surged forward, running through three soldiers despite their body armor. Nabooru used her twin swords to cut the heads off two soldiers, blocking an attack from a second. All around was struggling and chaos. Hissing angrily, Maria slashed through a soldier's neck. The soldier, bleeding fiercely, collapsed to the ground, blood pooling in the dirt. Maria then shot one soldier in the neck, chased down a second with her sword, stabbing him through a gap in his armor. A two-handed sword flashed once over her head; she barely managed to lift her shield in time before it came crashing down. She shook off the pain and threw the mangled shield into another soldier's face, preferring to blast her two-handed swordsman opponent away. Another soldier tripped her. She growled, flinging away her sword to avoid being impaled, and hit the ground, scraping her jaw. Grimacing, she rolled to avoid being sliced in two and blasted a small knot of Hylians away from the struggling Gerudo. Safe.

-  
A noise to her left, and before she could react Enari fell, blood gushing from her stomach. The triumphant soldier prepared to end her life immediately. Enari hissed defiance and jabbed him in the leg; the sword skated off his armor in a burst of sparks. Too late. Death stared her in the face.

And then a long, thin strip of steel protruded from his unprotected chest. He fell soundlessly, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth. A small figure stood in his wake, unprotected except for hard leather encasing her arms and a breastplate, reddish-brown hair pulled back with a blood-red tie. Maria dropped to the woman's side and hauled her up, pushing through enemies and friends over to the wall. They huddled behind a line of comrades that blocked the enemy's path. She thrust a purple-glowing hand into her stomach, but instead of a blow, Enari felt Healing magic knit her skin back together.

"You healed me," she said incredulously. Maria grinned and turned, jumping back into the fray, slicing off a head and hacking through one man's arm. She was completely ruthless, not caring about the men she killed, about the blood staining her hands and clothes, her own injuries didn't matter at all. Death to Hylians, victory to Gerudo.

-  
Hours passed, the Gerudo were winning. No one had died yet on their side, but Runa and her Trainees were kept busy with injuries. Only those with life-threatening wounds were treated immediately, Red Potion handed out sparingly.

Maria fought her way through a thick cluster of Hylians, delivering crippling blows with the spear she'd traded for her sword half an hour ago. Scratches and cuts adorned her face, hands, and arms, and her left arm didn't work properly, but it was nothing fatal. She somehow ended up beside Ganondorf, who, despite a large, bloody wound on his arm that had completely cut through his armor, fought perfectly. Another blow, three fell this time, sparkling black energy clinging to their dead, unmarked bodies. He noticed her, and the arm that hung useless at her side.

"You should get that taken care of," he yelled over the din.

She grinned. "Duly noted!" she shouted back, and jabbed at the throat of the soldier trying to break through the ranks of Desert Women. He fell into the arms of Kuza, who threw him off with disgust and killed the soldier next to him.

The first decent conversation between the two of them . . . .

-  
"HYRULE!" their second rallying cry as the afternoon darkened into evening. So few, perhaps four or five hundred men now, remained. They bunched together and prepared their next surge.

"REINFOCEMENTS!" came the scream. The last group of fresh soldiers rushed from every door, some leaping through larger windows, bows and arrows, spears, swords, and staves in hand. Kuza howled at the top of her lungs, fresh heart in her, and killed three in an instant. Black and purple fireballs crisped the Hylians to bits. Maria grinned and snapped one soldier's neck with a useful spell, keeping the fireballs away from any Gerudos.

And then, in one heart-stopping moment, a soldier charged from his ranks, wielding an enormous axe. Maria didn't see his target until he roared in triumph and chopped downward into the Gerudo King's chest.

Ganondorf's eyes widened in shock and horror, then glanced toward Maria in an infinitesimal instant. Their eyes met briefly, and she started forward, yelling "No!" And then, his eyes closed. He fell.

It took an age for him to fall, and once he did, screams rent the evening air, screams of denial, shock, rage, fear . . . . but Nabooru's and Maria's were the loudest of all. They reached the murderer simultaneously, swords drawn, and skewered him; he roared in pain as he died. Maria wailed in anguish upon seeing Ganondorf's body behind her, but it was met by an equal yowl of rage. Her body glowed purple, as did her burning eyes. This was nothing she controlled, it was raw power that was unleashed with her father's death. She rose high into the air, shrieking her pain. Overwhelming heat and energy burst forth from her small form, white-hot and impossible to see without injuring the eyes. Those on the ground shielded their faces and prepared for death. Hylians howled and roared as they were burned alive, ashes scattering across their half-melted and charred armor. No Gerudo was touched; they were protected by whatever force destroyed their enemies.

It was all over. Maria fell to the ground, exhausted beyond belief, shaking all over, hands barely able to hold her weapon. She staggered to her feet and stumbled over to the cluster of Gerudo concealing the body from view. _Farore, no . . . please, I beg you . . . . _

Nabooru already knelt by her brother, sobbing and wailing her lamentation to the sky, hand on his bloody chest. Even the most hardened Gerudo had tears on their faces with the death of their leader. Maria dropped to her knees beside the body. The raw wound made the body unbearable to look at, so she didn't.

"Mother Farore," Nabooru whimpered. "Why?"

Maria wrapped her arms around the older woman, allowing Nabooru to rest her head on her shoulder. Slowly, they stood, shouldered through the group, followed by the warrior group leaders.

Wails and screams followed them downstairs to the Conference Room.

-  
Nabooru dropped into a chair with the others, hands over her face. "There is the matter," she said, voice muffled, "of . . . succession . . . . I can't do it. I can't. I'll stay as second. I could never . . . ." she broke down and began to cry.

Maria stood tall and straight, injured arm pressed tightly against her stomach. Her face was pale, set, no tears adorned her features. "Then it has to be me."

They all looked up, even Kuza, who was nursing her broken fingers. Disbelief was etched into their faces, mixing with sorrow and tears. Finally, one found her voice, Yezr, commander of the fourth party. "What?" she demanded. "But, you're a kid! A kid lead us-"

Temper frayed, Maria slammed her dagger into the table, pounding a dent into the smooth wood. Everyone visibly flinched. "But _nothing_, Yezr! It is mine by right of birth if Nabooru refuses. I'll have advisors, a second-in-command who I know will not fail, why not?!"

"You're a-" she began, but Maria overrode her.

"I know, I am just a child, but what you fail to understand is the fact that I am more intelligent than it seems! I've managed to survive this long without running away, I've endured pain, torture, loss . . ." she faltered briefly. "But I know I can do this. I can."

"She would make a good leader." At first, no one saw the speaker, and then Maria noticed Enari, huddled in a chair, tears streaming down her face. "She saved me. Maria," she stood and knelt at Maria's feet. "I'm so sorry for what I said. I was wrong, you're no coward, you're braver than I thought. You still saved me, even though I treated you harshly. I will never make that mistake again. I would be honored to have you as my leader."

Maria was at a loss for words. "Rise, Enari, you needn't pay tribute," she said finally . "Thank you for your support." She turned to the others. "Any other takers?"

Yezr sighed. "I support the decision."

"As do I," admitted Nabooru. She sniffed.

"Me too," said Kuza bluntly. "You'll do great, kid."

"Decision accepted. Maria will take over for Ganondorf, then. Her team of advisors will always be on hand for when she needs assistance," said Nabooru formally. "Now, someone needs to inform our Pirate cousins . . . ."

A messenger burst in. "Forgive me, Milady," she gasped. "But Yenna and Seva went to move the body and, and, it's gone, ma'am, vanished without a trace."'

Silence.

"Those bastards," Maria spat. It was her first true emotion since seeing him lying there, dead and cold. "They stole the body . . ."

And as the horror of this statement settled on the others, Nabooru burst into frest tears. There were shocked murmurs and protests, not even scratching the surface of their true emotions, of the endless, burning rage, sorrow, and fear. Maria remained stone-like the entire time. She couldn't cry, if she did, it would kill her.

At last, emotions under control, Kuza said quietly, "there's still the issue of informing the Pirates . . ."

"Send me," interrupted Maria. "I'll do it. I have connections in Termina."

Nabooru nodded after long deliberation. She prepared the spell. "Gods go with you."

-  
The orange-brown aura cleared. Maria stood on the beach of Great Bay. It was night now, the moon glowed overhead. She turned away, unable to face the Pirates at the moment. The Carnival of Time was tonight, and still, a light burned in Vaki's window. He bought the seemingly small hut next to the old fisherman's five years ago. She hurried over to it and knocked on the door.

It took him a while, but eventually, he opened the door, white hair messy and dark red robe wrapped around his thin figure, book in hand. "Maria?" he asked. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing. I was in the neighborhood, figured I'd drop in. You getting ready for the Carnival?" she asked.

"Right, the Carnival. Hold on." He closed the door, reappearing moments later fully dressed and ready for a night of celebration. "You can ride with me," he offered. She nodded and tried to smile. It didn't work. She didn't want to go, really, she just wanted to be alone.

He mounted his gray horse, not bothering to saddle her up, and Maria mounted behind. They rode wordlessly into Termina Field, passing tourists in town for the celebration. Vaki left his horse beside the South Entrance and entered into the brightly colored lights and cheery people gathered eagerly around the Clock Tower. Setka and the rest of the group soon joined them, but Maria wasn't interested. She left Clock Town and sat against the wall, where there were no people to intrude.

She remembered the pain she'd endured before coming to Gerudo's Valley, the endless work and torture, the blood spilled and the improperly healed broken bones. But all of it was insignificant. She had never really spoken to Ganondorf, as Enari had put it, he'd never "called her by name." Only a few moments before his death was their first conversation. And what a conversation.

She gazed over the Field, up at the night sky, face as hard as stone, and . . . .

Burst into tears for the first time since coming home to Gerudo Valley.

_Farore, why?_ She cried helplessly, tears dripping from her cheeks to the dirt. Her body racked with sobs, moaning in anguish. _Din, why take this away from me? It's not like I even knew him, but he did bring me to the Valley . . . _the full impact of that hit her, bringing even more sorrow. _He brought me to the Valley. He truly loved me after all._

Fireworks began to explode overhead, lighting the ground in bursts of green, orange, blue, pink, purple, and red, reflecting off the tears on one girl's pale face. She mourned her loss, a loss more acute than that of her only friend. She cried until she had no more tears to shed, sitting there for what felt like hours, reduced to hiccupped whimpers and shuddering breaths. _Farore, why . . .?_

Emotions spent, she staggered to her feet. Though pain and loss bled through her like poison, there were people to inform, people to share her pain, people to lead, people to protect. And she would protect them with her dying breath.

**

* * *

Me: End.  
****Talim: Amazing. You finished something.  
****Me: Any questions, PM me! And review, please? It's the last chapter. It's over! I want to know what you guys think. Until next story!  
****(Okay, I know I'm late, but I have a pile of homework to do (4-5 essays) and, yeah, um . . . my stories won't be updated for a while (if anyone's reading MY Zelda story, wait about two weeks. I apologize again! GerudoGirl89)**


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